


Out in the Evergreen Rain

by Auremberite



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Fluff, Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-25
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-19 16:06:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11901255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Auremberite/pseuds/Auremberite
Summary: Peridot is an archer, rivaled only by fictional characters and Olympic athletes. Then, at her new school, she meets a beautiful girl with shocking blue hair and a passion for anything aquatic. And Lapis Lazuli has a certain charisma that makes the archer's heart pound. But she also has secrets, ones that would make any sane person run away. Good thing Peridot isn't entirely sane herself, jumping fences and breaking the law for the swimmer that caught her heart.





	1. Under the Awning

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be another Lapidot human high school AU, I guess. After reading many fics under the same topic, I found that there were too many clichés. I saw stuff where Peridot loves technology, hates sports, and is generally rude or anti-social. Lapis would come from a generally poorer family with problems. They might even be bullied for part of the first chapter, if you’re lucky. Not this time. This isn’t your average Lapidot human au, mostly because I’m not sure what I’m doing and make it up as I go. But that is okay because it has fluff. I originally posted this to my fanfic.net account, but the site started to annoy me and ao3 is where all the fics are at anyways.

Peridot:

  “This is just great,” I mutter under my breath as it starts to drizzle.

  My name is Peridot. Don’t worry about my last name, I don’t care for it anymore. I refuse to acknowledge any relation with my parents at this point. My first name is unique enough, and it will have to do.

  I’m a sophmore. Where? Who knows? Every year, it’s the same. Leave my old school, find a new one. I have no alliance to any place nor to anyone but myself.

  It’s the first week of September, the week before school begins. My parents kicked me out of the house, so I requested early transport to my new school. A bus should be by a stop near my house to pick me up tomorrow morning at eight. However, I can’t actually stay at my house, so I’m forced to wait and sleep at a bus stop until I’m picked up.

  My new school – it’s called Gemstone Academy, I just checked the pamphlet – is a boarding school in some mountain region. I get a full scholarship there on my archery talent, though it’s not my only skill. I love to play music and to write. The pen may be mightier than the sword, but the bow is stronger than them both. Someone should embroider that on a decorative pillow.

  I finally make it to the bus stop just as the rain picks up. Luckily, it’s covered by an awning, however small it may be. Everything I own is in the green hiking pack on my back. It’s only some clothes, a laptop, my ukulele, and a few binders, but I still can’t afford to let any of it get wet.

  I slump on the sole bench and pull out my laptop. No charge. I pinch the bridge of my nose. How perfect. Now I have nothing to do until the bus arrives, and I can’t even leave without risking getting everything I own soaked.

  Just then, I hear heavy footsteps pounding on the sidewalk. I look up, and see a girl with royal blue hair sprinting towards the awning.

  “What is she doing?” I mutter. I didn’t expect anyone else to get here this early. I’d never made any friends at my old schools, and I didn’t need to start now.

  She finally makes it into the dry area, and rests her hands on her knees, panting. “That… was more running than I think I’ve ever done in my entire life,” she says in between breaths.

  “What were you doing out in the rain, then?” I ask, somewhat annoyed at this mystery girl. Now I’d have to share the bench.

  She looks up, and I blush. She’s gorgeous. She has dyed cobalt blue hair that comes down below her shoulders, light freckles that speckle her nose, and ice blue eyes that seem to pierce mine with such intensity, it’s like they contain a storm of their own. She’s wearing a grey tank top and blue athletic shorts with black skater shoes.

  “I was out swimming. There’s nothing else to do when you’re stuck here,” she replies.

  “How long have you been here?” I question, surprised.

  “I don’t know. Maybe a week, I guess. I lost track of time,” she says, checking her watch. “I didn’t expect anyone to come at all, much less to arrive early for the bus. I’m usually the only one who goes to school before it starts. Is it your first year?”

  I blush and look away. Here was a beautiful girl talking to me almost like we were friends. I felt as if I talked, I would ruin it all and scare her off. “Yeah, but I’m a sophomore. I’ve been transferred this year,” I mumble.

  She leans closer. “Sorry, what? You’re speaking really softly, and I couldn’t hear.”

  Her face was less than a foot away from mine. My heart seemed to beat out of its chest. “Uh, I’m a sophomore.”

  She grins. “That’s awesome! I’m a sophomore, too! That means we’ll be in the same class!”

  She’s so cute when she smiles. Normally, pretty people scare me off, but for some reason, she seems inviting. I want to talk to her, but the only thing I know we have in common is that we go to the same school. I think I remember reading about houses, like in Harry Potter, in the school pamphlet.

  “Uh, what house are you in?” I ask.

  “I’m in the Pink house. It’s only for the ‘troubled’ kids, so I don’t think you’ll be in it. You’ll probably be in Blue, Yellow, or White,” she answers.

  I raise an eyebrow. “You don’t look that troubled. You seem pretty normal, actually.”

  She laughs. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’ll change soon. I’m in no way normal.”

  I rifle through my backpack until I find my class schedule. “Hey, it looks like I’m in Pink. I guess we’ll be in each other’s classes.”

  She grabs my schedule, her hand brushing against mine. I shiver. Her hand was warm and soft, and smelled like the ocean. “Why would you be in Pink? Have you ever done anything bad at your old school?” she asks.

  My mind flashes back to experiences from my old schools. “I’ve been more at the receiving end of things, actually.”

   Her eyes flash with understanding. “Sorry about that, dude. But hey, maybe things can be different this time.” she puts her arm around my shoulder reassuringly, and I tense up. “You have me as a friend, and while that in itself isn’t much of a bonus, I can introduce you to some of my friends who actually have redeeming qualities.”

  “You have redeeming qualities,” I stutter.

  She smiles, and I think I can almost catch a blush on her face. “Aw, thanks.”

  Her eyes widen, and she takes her arm from around my shoulder, as if she hadn’t realized how close we’d been.

  “Er… What’s your name, at any rate? I feel like a pretty girl like you has a pretty name too,” I say. I freeze, realizing my mistake.

  She definitely blushes this time, and so do I, and I think she’s going to ignore me because the silence has grown so long, until she says, “My name is Lapis Lazuli, and I’m flattered that you think I’m pretty, but that’s an easy mistake to make.”

  _It’s not a mistake,_ I think to myself, but instead I say, “Do you have any talents or hobbies?” Classic icebreaker. It makes me sound a bit dull, though I already am.

  She shrugs. “I like to swim and surf. I’ve always loved the water.”

  I grin. “So I guess you like the weather right now, huh?”

  “It’s perfect,” she replies. “I could stay in the rain all day if I didn’t have to keep my stuff dry.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “Alright. You say you’re a daredevil? I’ll watch your backpack if you go stand out in the rain.”

  “That’s literally not at all dangerous, but sure.” She steps out from under the awning and is almost immediately soaked by the torrential downpour. “Wow, what a daredevil,” she calls, having to yell over the sound of the rainfall.

  “Oh man, better tone it down a bit. That’s pretty dangerous,” I reply, suppressing a grin.

  “Woah, it’s pretty intense out here, wouldn’t recommend coming out unless you’re a serious rebel.”

  I smirk. “I think I could be a rebel,” I remark as I strip off my hoodie, revealing a black archery competition tee shirt. I notice Lapis mildly blushing but I’m so beyond caring. Stepping out into the rain, I feel my blonde hair become slick in the frigid water.

  “Better watch yourself, rebel,” Lapis comments, grinning.

  “Why is it so cold?” I demand, using my hands as a visor. “It’s summer!”

  “If you can’t take the… cold… then get out of the kitchen,” Lapis replies, sticking her tongue out.

  I swiftly step back under the awning, shaking myself off like a dog. “I actually didn’t think you’d do it,” I say as she follows me under.

  “Are you kidding? Water is my element. I’d do anything to be in the water,” she replies, sitting back down on the bench.

  We sit for a moment in silence. When I look over at her, I find that she’s shivering. I reach beside me and hand the blue haired girl my lime green hoodie.

  “You look really cold. Do you, uh, want to wear my jacket?” I ask, blushing.

  She silently nods and slips the dry green hoodie on. “Thanks.” She says quietly.

  We sit in silence again, until she says, “I never asked for your name. What was it?”

  I stare into the distance. “My name is Peridot.”

  I can tell that she notices my reluctance to say my last name, but she says nothing. “What do you like to do for fun? I’m guessing from the tone of your voice that you aren’t the biggest fan of water,” she remarks.

  I shake my head. “Nah, I like archery, writing, and music. I actually got a full scholarship to this place on archery. I’m aiming for the Olympics, and I’m pretty close, too.”

  Her eyes widen. “That’s awesome! So you’re like Katniss Everdeen, right? Although with your outfit, it’s more like Katniss Evergreen.”

  I look down at what I’m wearing. I have on a green hoodie, pastel green leggings, and dark green converse. “Okay, but you’re not wrong,” I reply.

  She gives a small laugh. “That’s cool, though. I’d like to get into the Olympics too, but for swimming. Maybe one day, we’ll be there together.”

  I smile. “I’ll look forward to it.”

oO0Oo

  After a few more hours of talking, we decided to try to sleep. Neither of us wanted to sleep on the ground, so we both had to stiffly sit upright on the bench.

  “Peridot?” Lapis asks softly.

  “Couldn’t sleep?” I ask, opening one eye.

  “No. I’m honestly pretty nervous,” she replies.

  “What for? You’ve been to this school before, right? You already know everyone there,” I state.

  She bites her lip. “That’s part of the problem,” she murmurs.

  I raise my eyebrows. “What do you mean?” I question.

  “Never mind. You’ll see when you get there. Are you nervous?” she says slowly.

  “No. I know you, which is one more friend than I usually have.”

  She straightens up. “Why? You’re a really cool person to be around. Why wouldn’t you have friends?”

  “Long story.”

  “Fair enough,” she replies.

  After a pause, I ask, “Are we… friends?”

  She laughs. “Of course, Evergreen.”

  “Thanks, Rain.”

  “Are those our new nicknames?” she asks, smiling.

  “If the shoe fits,” I start.

  “I see your point,” she says. “Do you still want to try to sleep, or do something else?”

  “Nah, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep, but I still want to try. See you in the morning,” I say.

  “Night,” she replies.

  I’m glad she can’t see my face, because I’m beaming. I had a friend.


	2. My Roommate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis can't cook and kinda almost burns the dorms down whoops

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That last chapter was... not as bad as expected! The secret to success is to set low standards!  
> QOTD: why is lapis so bad at cooking  
> (AOTD at end of chapter)

Peridot:

  The rain stops at dawn, which is good, because that’s when the bus comes.

  “Lapis?” I whisper, gently shaking her shoulder.

  “I’m awake, relax, I never slept,” she murmurs as the bus slowly pulls to a stop. It’s an old yellow school bus with the school’s name printed in faded paint on the side.

  We grab our backpacks and sit in the same seat on the bus. I take the outside, and she gets the window.

  “How long of a drive is it?” I ask, yawning.

  “About three hours,” she replies.

  I look her up and down. I notice the dark bags under her eyes, and I say, “It’s okay if you want to sleep. I won’t mind.”

  She leans back in the seat. “I can’t sleep. It’ll be fine,” she replies, yawning.

  I narrow my eyes. “Dude, you need rest. You said it yourself; you haven’t slept in three, almost four days. It’s okay to let your guard down.”

  She glares at me, locking eyes. I don’t see any emotion in her gaze this time, only green and blue colliding. It was nothing, and it was everything. I couldn’t figure it out, and I couldn’t describe it either. It was just… there. I’m the first one to look away, but the feeling still lingers.

  For a moment, I think she’ll punch me. But then, her eyes soften, and she says, “Okay. You’re right. Thanks.” She closes her eyes and begins to let go.

  When she’s asleep, I can look at her without fear of being discovered. She’s breathtaking, the way she looks. I blush. I couldn’t allow myself to have feelings for her, even if she was pretty, funny, athletic – it wasn’t going to happen. She wouldn’t like a loser like me.

  Just then, interrupting my thoughts, her head fell on my shoulder. I froze. “Lapis?” I whisper, startled. No reply. I realized that she was still asleep. I decided that it was better to let her rest than to save myself embarrassment, so I didn’t wake her.

  An hour later, I reached down to the ground to pick up my backpack, and she snaps awake.

  “What?” she asks, jolting her head up. When she realizes what had happened, she blushes a furious shade of red. “I’m so sorry, Peridot, I didn’t realize, I was asleep, I-”

  “It’s okay, dude. We’re here, anyways,” I reply, grabbing both of our backpacks from the adjacent seat. I hand the blue one to her. As she takes it, her hand brushes mine. I tense for a moment, but luckily she doesn’t notice.

  We walk off the bus, and I ask, “Where do we go now?”

  She glances around nervously and says, “Let’s head up to the Pink dorm room. I’ll show you where it is.”

  You don’t need to be an architect to appreciate the way the school has been built. The main lobby is made of smooth stones imbedded with sparkling shards of mica, and the floors are white marble. One wall is almost entirely glass, and looks out over the front walk. Two opposite walls are made of stained glass, and look into classrooms, though the color makes it opaque. A large set of stairs leads up to the second floor, where there a fountain rests on the landing. The building itself is absolutely ginormous, sprawling for hundreds of feet. Each dorm room is placed in some way that relates to its color. The Blue dorms face out over the lake in back. Yellow dorms face towards the sunrise, and pink to the sunset. White dorms are in the tallest part of the building, and they face the snowcapped mountains.

  When I walk into the Pink dorms, I find something way more luxurious than I was expecting. The room has one large window that takes up an entire wall, looking out over the west. The skylights are tinted pink. The room is decorated in a comfy style. Pink blankets are everywhere, and beanbag chairs, bungee chairs, and plush couches litter the room. The lamps turn on and off when you touch their base, something I find extremely cool. There are games on the shelf, like cards against humanity and monopoly, and a docking station sits on a coffee table. On one side of the large window there is door that leads to the kitchen and bathrooms, and on the other, there is a hallway that branches off into many different dorms.

  “Woah,” I say in awe.

  “Welcome to your new home, dude. This place is where you’ll stay for the next three years,” Lapis says, walking in.

  “It’s furbished so well… better than most homes,” I state, turning the lamps on and off repeatedly.

  “A lot of the kids here in the Pink dorm have ADHD or attention problems. Instead of forcing them to conform to a certain standard, the school decided to adapt the room to the students. Bungee chairs are really helpful for kids who can’t sit still. Music helps some people study, so there are speakers. The school has the right idea on how to treat kids,” Lapis replies.

  “That’s awesome. Which room do I stay in?” I ask.

  “It should say on your schedule. We share the commons with all of Pink, but each dorm room holds two people. Since I’ve been here before, I already have a room. A lot of the rooms are already taken.”

  I take my schedule out of my pocket again. “It says I’m in room four.”

  She grins. “Hey, that’s my room. Looks like we’re sharing, dude. I guess we’re roommates.”

  My face lights up. Not only do I get to live in a beautiful school, but I get a roommate that treats me like… like a friend.

  She waves me over. “This year’s going to be great now that I have such a cool roommate. Come on, I’ll show you where our room is.”

  She walks into one of the dorms, and I follow her, blushing. She’d actually… valued me? Treated me like I was someone worth being with? When I walk in the room, I look around in awe.

  “Everything is blue,” I state. I wasn’t wrong. The room was small, and only held two bureaus and a bunk bed. The upper bunk had collapsed, but the bottom bunk had blue covers and sheets. The walls had been painted pastel blue, and the carpet was blue, too.

  “I, uh, really like blue,” she mumbles, blushing.

  I grin. “Is it because you like water?” I ask.

  She rubs her shoulder. “…Yeah.”

  “Oh my stars, my roommate is a cute nerd,” I mutter, putting my face in my hand.

  Lapis turns to me. “’Oh my stars?’ What does that even – Wait, did you call me cute?”

  I blush furiously. “Um, I’ll just start unpacking.”

  As I begin to unpack my backpack, I almost think I see her smiling from the corner of my eye.

oO0Oo

  Once I finally unpack everything – which doesn’t take long, since I have almost no belongings – I look at Lapis curiously. “So where do I sleep? The top bunk looks broken.”

  She gasps. “Oh, right, I forgot. I had to break that one because…” she hesitates, and I raise an eyebrow. “Never mind. I’ll get someone to fix it once school starts. The only ones here right now are you, me, one or two other students with nowhere else to go, and a few teachers. There’s no one around to mend it right now.”

  I shrug. “Whatever. I’ll just sleep on the floor,”

  She sighs. “No, you can take the bed. I’ll take the floor.”

  I glare at her. “It’s your room. You take the bed.”

  She rolls her eyes. “We can settle this later, there’s plenty of time. Right now, I have a lot of energy, but none of the activity rooms are open, like the pool or archery range, so I’m going to go skating. Want to come along?”

  I tense up. “I’ve never actually been on a skateboard before.”

  She grins. “Luckily, I have a spare. Let’s head out to the quad.”

oO0Oo

  It’s been five minutes now, and I still can’t figure out how she does it. And by ‘it,’ I mean manage to not only stay on a moving skateboard, but do tricks as well. Is everyone as multi-talented as her?

  “Come on, Peri! You can do it!” she calls, just as she grinds down a rail. Holy cosmos, she’s amazing, not to mention intimidating.

  “I most definitely cannot!” I call in reply.

  She grins, and skates over next to me. “Dude, I know you can. You’ve just got to try.”

  “I am trying!” I complain.

  “Dude, you’re not even standing on your board,” she argues.

  I look down at my skateboard, which I’d been rolling back and forth with one foot. I sigh, and step on it tentatively.

  I put my second foot on, and the board lurches. “Lapis!” I cry, shocked. The board begins to slip out from under my feet. My eyes widen.

  Our eyes meet just as I’m about to hit the ground. Her hands dart out and grab mine. I close my eyes, wait one moment, two. I take a deep breath and open them. Lapis is holding me up with brute strength alone. My head is inches from the pavement. She pulls me up after a few seconds, and I end up surprisingly close. She notices, and takes a step back, blushing.

  I rub the back of my neck. “Thanks.”

  She blushes. “Don’t mention it, dude.”

  “I’ll just watch. I think I’m pretty hopeless at anything on wheels,” I declare, heading over to the nearest bench.

  “Nah, I think I’m done for the day, too. Do you want to just go and make dinner back at the dorm?” she says, jogging to catch up.

  “I can’t cook,” I reply, though I am hungry.

  “Neither can I, but there’s nowhere else to go. Hopefully you’re okay with burnt ramen and expired cereal for the next week, because I literally cannot make a single meal without screwing it up,” she says, grinning.

oO0Oo

  After five minutes in the kitchen, I find out that she isn’t wrong.

  “How do you make three smoke detectors go off at once after only thirty seconds at the stove?” I exclaim, waving smoke away from my eyes.

  “I have no clue! I’m just trying to make pasta!” she yells, taking a searing hot pot off the stove.

  I quickly turn the stove off, and rush to disable the smoke detectors. When I get back, I look at the resulting meal. “Is… is pasta supposed to be crispy?” I ask after a moment. The noodles in the pot are blackened and stiff.

  “It looks like wet hair and sadness. I’m just… I’m just gonna order a pizza.”

  I nod silently, and she runs to grab the phone while I cleans up the mess that had almost been our dinner. I guess I can cross ‘chef’ off her future job list.

oO0Oo

  We sit in the beanbag chairs in the common room eating pizza, talking about everything and nothing all at once. Alternating things with meaning and casual banter.

  “So, what’s up with you and the color green?” she asks. “I mean, I can get liking blue and water – they match. But archery and green doesn’t add up.”

  “Green is the color of the spring, which is when I was born, but also of healing and growth. I want my skills to grow, and to let my weaknesses become my strengths. I don’t know, I just find it cool,” I reply.

  “That’s actually… really well thought out? I’m impressed, you’ve done your research,” Lapis replies.

  I grin. “Well, I have to be smart on some occasions. Most of the time I’m just there as a background character.”

  “You’re not a background character to me!” Lapis exclaims, blushing. “You’re like, one of my best friends here, and I barely know you.”

  “Aw, dude, you’re one of my best friends, too. I haven’t really had many friends in my life at all, actually, but I still say you’re above a decent amount of them.”

  “Thanks,” Lapis replies, looking considerably happier.

oO0Oo

    Almost after midnight, we walk into the dorm room, ready for sleep.

  “Oh, I almost forgot, do you want your hoodie back? I still have it from yesterday,” Lapis says.

  I shrug. “Keep it. You look really pretty in it,” I reply distractedly.

  “You think I’m pretty?” Lapis asks.

  …Add that to the list of things I wish I hadn’t said out loud. If this kept up, she’d think I liked her, which I did; but I wasn’t ready for her to know anytime soon.

  “Do you want the hoodie or not?” I ask, looking at the ground.

  “Yeah, I love hoodies so much. Besides, it’s nice to wear one that’s not blue or black,” she replies, hiding her hands in the sleeves.

  I grinned. She was adorable. “Um, with that settled, maybe we should decide who gets the bed? Maybe?”

  “You get the bed. You’re newer, and I was the one who broke the top bunk in the first place,” she says, throwing her pillow onto the ground.

  I pick it back up and throw it at her chest. “It was your room first. You take the bed.”

  She sighs. “Let’s just rock-paper-scissors, and whoever wins gets the floor.”

  I’m prepared to throw paper. It’s my ultimate strategy. I stare into her eyes, and she stares back, celery green against ice blue, and she smirks. We both throw paper.

  “Hey, looks like we both get the floor,” she says, grinning.

  I roll my eyes. “You’re not going to give up, are you?”

  “Nope. Make room, Evergreen. This musty old floor is seating two tonight,” she cheerfully replies.

  She gives me an old set of blankets and a pillow. We sleep only two feet apart, as the floor space is limited, to put it nicely. Really, they should’ve put more effort into the dorm rooms and less in the commons.

  I turn the lights out. “Night, Lapis.”

  “Night, Peridot.”

  I look up at the dark ceiling. My mind flashes back to earlier that day when I’d fallen off my skateboard, and she’d caught me. Our faces had been so close, and the way she’d looked just as our hands met… I sigh and roll over on the floor away from Lapis. I refused to let myself like her in that way. We were roommates, friends. I’d never had one of those before, and I wasn’t going to ruin this now.

  I pull the blanket over my head and close my eyes, hoping for sleep but finding only the sound of crickets outside.

oO0Oo

  Later that night, I wake up to the sound of her thrashing.

  I use the glowing display from my digital watch to cast some light on her. She looks like she’s in pain, and is mumbling in her sleep, her face set in concentration. I tap her lightly on the shoulder, and she sits bolt upright. Her eyes are wide at first, but once she realizes where she is, she visibly relaxes.

  “Nightmare?” I ask.

  “Yeah,” she replies shyly. “It happens a lot. Sorry if I woke you up.”

  I shrug. “No problem. Was your nightmare about anything in particular?”

  She flinches and says, “Nope. Just a generic scary dream.”

  I sigh. “Never bet on cards. You’ll lose your last cent.”

  She flushes. “Okay, so I suck at lying. Does it matter? You’ll probably learn why I have nightmares sooner or later. I just… don’t want to say it out loud. It makes it more real.”

  My gaze softens. “That’s fine, I don’t want to pry. Do you need anything?” I ask.

  “No, it’s okay. I’ll just try to sleep again,” she replies.

  “Alright. Goodnight,” I say, laying back down.

  After a half hour, I’m still awake, and I can tell Lapis is too.

  “Can’t sleep?” I ask.

  She sighs. “No. you too?”

  “Yeah. You want help falling asleep?” I ask, sitting up.

  “Sure. How’re you going to manage that, though?” she questions.

  “With a song,” I reply, grabbing my ukulele. I grin quietly, and I hear her snort with laughter.

  “What?” I ask indignantly.

  “I just think it’s cute how excited you’re getting. Go for it, Evergreen.”

  I softly strum the strings, and she falls silent. I begin to play a peaceful song, one of the first I learned. It’s relatively simple, but it’s soothing and melodic. Even though the song has lyrics, I don’t sing. I have a good enough singing voice, but I’m too self-conscious. Lapis doesn’t seem to mind. Once I finish, I hear her heavy breathing, and I know she’s in a peaceful slumber. I smile and go back under the blankets. After two days, sleep finally finds its way to me, and I relent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AOTD: because if peridot is like katniss because of the bow shooty thing then that means lapis could be seen as peeta and peeta was a baker which means he does the food thing and i dont want to copy hunger games so therefore lapis must always suck at the food thing


	3. Sleeps Under the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> enter jasper: rich girl who tried to use a tanning bed but ultimately failed and now has stripes of pale skin  
> also they sleep outside i'm shook

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my 2nd least favorite chapter why  
> QOTD: why does Amethyst ship Lapis so much

Peridot:

 

I stare at my reflection with little enthusiasm. My celery green eyes gaze back looking just as tired as ever. Blonde hair that came just below my shoulders on a good day, held in a ponytail that didn’t quite hit my neck. My black tee shirt was crumpled, and my green athletic shorts made it look like I was dressed in lime slices. Fantastic. I always wanted to be a citrus fruit.

I wore a black tee shirt and green athletic shorts, my usual archery attire. I tried to comb my blonde hair as best I could, but it was as unruly as ever. Today would be the first official day of school, even though we wouldn’t have classes until tomorrow. Today, I would just have to meet and socialize with the other members of the Pink dorm for the first time. If they were anything like Lapis, we would get along just fine. But I’d never met anyone quite like Lapis before.

  I walked into the commons, and found Lapis chatting with two girls.

  “Oh, hey, Peridot! Come on over and meet the some of the others in the Pink dorm,” Lapis called.

  I walked over, a fake smile plastered on my face. “Hey,” I greeted, waving.

  “Dude, you look like did not sleep at all,” One of the girls said. She had long, lavender hair and dark indigo, almost purple eyes. She wore a white tank top and black sweatpants.

  “Amethyst, please, at least try to be polite and make a good first impression,” the other girl said. She had pale strawberry blonde hair and baby blue eyes. She was dressed almost like a dancer, with leggings and a loosely fitting athletic tank top.

  Lapis gestured to the pair. “Peridot, this is Amethyst and Pearl. They’re sophomores here.”

  “Well, nice meeting you, but I’ve got a lot of garbage to go unpack,” Amethyst says, slowly walking to the dorm rooms. “And by unpack, I mean throw on Pearl’s bed.”

  “Oh, no you don’t! This year, you’re finally going to learn how to be neat!” Pearl exclaims, swiftly walking after Amethyst.

  I hear a muffled, “Nope,” in reply.

  I raise an eyebrow. “Are they… uh…” I start.

  “Dating? It’s complicated,” Lapis replies.

  “Oh. Cool, I guess. Are they the only other ones here?” I ask.

  “No, there are five others. We’re the smallest house by a long shot. Most houses have anywhere from thirty to fifty people,” she replies, checking her watch nervously. She taps her foot on the ground, a habit I hadn’t noticed until now.

  “Are you okay?” I question.

  “What? Yeah, sure. Why would you ask?” she says, fidgeting in her seat.

  “You seem… on edge,” I reply. “Are you afraid of anything? Or is it just because it’s the first day of school?”

  She takes in a deep breath. “No, I’m not afraid. It’s just… Never mind. Let’s just meet everyone else.”

  I shrug. “Alright, dude. Whatever you want.”

oO0Oo

  After a few introductions, I meet a cute couple called Ruby and Sapphire. Ruby is hot headed, and Sapphire is calm and collected, but they seem to get along really well. Then there’s Steven, the only boy in Pink. He’s kind of goofy, but he hints at a more serious nature. Then I greet his best friend, Connie, who is studious and brave. Finally, I meet Garnet. She’s a half-sister to both Ruby and Sapphire, but on different sides of the family; Ruby’s mom and Sapphire’s dad. She’s patient and funny, and gets along well with everyone.

  After I’ve said hello to everyone, Lapis and I sit in the common room. “So, what do you think?” Lapis asks.

  “They all seem like cool people. I think I’ll like it here,” I reply thoughtfully. “What do we do for the rest of the day? Classes don’t start until tomorrow.”

  Lapis shrugs. “Same as last week. We can just relax.”

  “What about lunch? We’re all out of leftovers,” I note.

  Before Lapis can respond, Pearl and Amethyst walk in. Being the first ones here, they’re also the first to finish unpacking, which means they can now annoy us! Lucky me!

  “Hey, dudes. We’re going to go downstairs and grab some food from the cafeteria. You can come with if you want,” Amethyst calls.

  Lapis shrugs, though I notice the fearful look in her eyes. “Sure. It’ll be good to see everyone, even though I don’t know or like any of them other than you guys.”

  “You could probably make friends with some of them if you tried,” Pearl remarks.

  “Yeah,” Amethyst comments. “You made friends with Peri here pretty quickly, though by looks of you two, I’d say you act like you want to be more than friends if you know what I-”

  Lapis interrupts Amethyst by shoving her shoulder. “We’ve known each other for a week. Maybe wait a couple more before you start shipping us?”

  “I’m just saying,” the purple haired girl continues, “I think you’d make a cute couple.”

  Lapis and I are both blushing furiously. I glance at the wall behind us, and Lapis rubs her shoulder.

  “See? You’re both blushing, so that means it’s true,” Amethyst continues in a sing song voice.

  “No, we’re both blushing because you’re making us uncomfortable,” Lapis counters.

  “Just ship them in silence,” Pearl says, cutting off Amethyst’s retort. The purple haired girl must agree, because she doesn’t say another word.

  As we walk out the door, Lapis and I are very careful not to look at each other.

oO0Oo

  As we’re walking down to the cafeteria, I hear someone call, “Hey, Lazuli! I’ve been hoping to run into you!”

  Lapis freezes dead in her tracks, a look of fright plastered on her face. A tall, muscular girl with long bleached hair and a fake tan comes strutting over.

  “Who is she?” I mutter.

  “Jasper,” Lapis whispers, horrified.

  Jasper walks up to Lapis and says, “You didn’t text me all summer. I was beginning to think you didn’t like me.”

  “That’s because I don’t,” Lapis replies simply, exuding fake confidence.

  “Aw, sure you do,” Jasper states, grabbing Lapis’ wrist. The blue haired girl flinches, but does nothing.

  “What do you want, Jasper?” Lapis quietly questions.

  “Let’s go talk about this somewhere private,” Jasper mutters, dragging Lapis along.

  “Wait, Lapis! Are you okay with this?” I shout.

  “It’s fine. Just wait for me in the cafeteria,” Lapis weakly responds.

  I narrow my eyes and watch as they round the corner. Amethyst puts her hand on my shoulder. “Come on. If we get involved, it never ends well. Let’s just do what she said, okay?” she asks softly.

  I shake her hand off. “Screw that! If she’s in danger, I want to help her!” I exclaim, running down the corridor.

  Ignoring Pearl’s and Amethyst’s cries, I sprint away, only stopping when I’m within earshot of their conversation.

  “You ignored me all summer!” I hear Jasper shout.

  “Why would I want to stay in touch with you? Every time we meet, you try to hurt me!” Lapis exclaims.

  “Listen here, Lazuli,” Jasper says, and I hear a loud slam. Lapis cries out, and my blood boils. If Jasper hurt her in any way…

  I peek around the corner to see Jasper holding Lapis by the wrist against the wall. My pulse quickened. How dare she?

  “This year, you’ll finally learn to love me. I don’t care what you think. We’re the perfect couple. It can be just you and me,” Jasper starts, but Lapis bravely cuts her off.

  “No! I’ll never be with you. I hate you!” she yells.

  Jasper’s face contorts in rage, and Lapis realizes her mistake just as the orange haired girl slams her into the wall. She cries out on contact, her face contorting in pain.

  I’ve seen enough. I can’t watch any longer. I run out from behind the corner. “Leave her alone!” I yell.

  They both turn to me. “Stay out of this!” Jasper exclaims.

  “Per… go…” Lapis mumbles, clearly dazed.

  I walk up to Jasper. I’ve never faced a bully head to head before, but for Lapis… Well, she’s worth it, okay?

  “Let her go,” I growl.

  “We were done anyway,” Jasper sneers. “No use intimidating someone who can barely stay conscious. Take her.”

  With that, Jasper shoved Lapis towards me. Unable to keep my balance, I fell on the ground, Lapis landing on top of me. I hear Jasper’s laughter ringing down the hallway as she walks away.

  I gently roll Lapis off my chest and onto the ground. She seems unable to speak, and I realize that she won’t be able to walk. Blushing, I pick her up firefighter style and head back up to our dorm.

  Her head rests against my shoulder, and I tense up. _It’s what a friend would do. This is all platonic,_ I tell myself.

  As I walk back past the cafeteria, I see Pearl and Amethyst. They both come rushing over, though they don’t seem surprised.

  “What happened?” Pearl exclaims.

  “Jasper happened,” I reply darkly.

  Amethyst is grinning.

  “Yes, Amethyst?” I ask, blushing.

  “You totally like her, don’t you? You’re literally carrying her in your arms, Peri.” she remarks.

  I tense up. “We’re roommates. Anyone would do the same.”

  Amethyst smirks, and I look down at Lapis. She’s still beautiful, even like this. I bite my lip. “I’m taking her back to our dorm.”

  “Ooh, you two even share a dorm. Don’t tell me you don’t like her, cause I won’t believe you,” Amethyst calls.

  I ignore her and brusquely walk back to our dorm.

oO0Oo

  I finally reach the dorm, where I slowly sit Lapis down in bed.

  “Alright, show me where you got hit,” I say softly.

  Her response is unintelligible, so I assume it’s somewhere on the head. I go to the refrigerator in the kitchen and return with an ice pack. I gently brush her hair off her face and lay it on her forehead, taking note of the large bruise there. I blush as I do so. When I’m, done I sit down with my back against the bed and rest.

  My mind is spinning. This is why she’d been so nervous earlier. She’d expected this. I was suddenly filled with rage. How could Jasper dare hurt someone as pure as Lapis?

  I stood up angrily. I needed to shoot something. It was one of my coping techniques. I knew the school had a good archery range, one of the reasons why I’d applied, so I decided to head down.

  But first, I left a note to Lapis explaining where I was. Even though her life was crazy, we were friends now. If she needed me, I would always be there.

oO0Oo

  After getting permission from the archery instructor and setting up the range, I finally stood in front of a target, my bow raised. I narrowed my eyes and released the arrow. Bullseye. I smirked. The target was too close, at almost fifty yards, but I wanted to finish off the round first.

  I hadn’t even noticed the time pass, yet I’d been at it for two hours. I closed off the outside world whenever I shot. The only thing I kept notice of was me, the target, and the arrow. Nothing else mattered. I raised my bow for another shot. I let the arrow fly, but it only hit the inner circle, not the exact middle. I swore loudly.

  “I don’t see why you’re so disappointed. That was actually pretty good,” I hear someone call.

  I whip around to see Lapis standing behind me. She wore her hair down now, hiding the mark on her face.

  “You’re okay!” I exclaim, dropping my bow and rushing over.

  “Yeah, I just had a little nap. I read your note saying you were here, and I wanted to see you shoot. Not bad, dude,” she says, shrugging.

  “Thanks. I’ve loved archery ever since I was little. It’s just calculating angles and force, but you can become better by being in good physical shape. It’s fun to me,” I reply.

  “You do make it sound pretty appealing. Can I try?” she asks.

  “Aren’t you injured?” I question skeptically.

  “I don’t care if I have a concussion, I’m doing it anyways, and you can’t stop me,” she says, hints of her old personality showing.

  “That sounds like a horrible idea. No way,” I say, holding the bow above my head so she can’t reach.

  She glares at me. “Peridot, give me the bow, or I’ll…”

  “You’ll what?” I tease. “Shoot me? With the bow you can’t reach?”

  “You know what? I think I will,” she replies.

  “I’m shaking in my skin,” I say dryly. “Anything but that.”

  She rolls her eyes good-naturedly. “Could I please just have the bow?”

  I sigh and hand her the bow. “Knock yourself out.”

  “I think I’ll just have to knock your socks off with my talent instead,” she replies, taking aim.

  Although there are a million ways I could correct her form, as it’s made clear within seconds that she’s incompetent with a bow, I would rather let her have fun than be a rule-imposing figure.

  She takes her first shot, and it just manages to hit the two point ring. Not bad, considering it’s over one hundred yards away. Most beginners struggle to hit the target at all at fifteen.

  “Don’t you dare laugh,” she mutters, stringing a second arrow.

  “I wouldn’t dream of it,” I say truthfully.

  She knocks a second arrow and points it at the target. I bite my lip, and she glances over. “What am I doing wrong?”

  “You’re not doing anything wrong,” I reply, lying through my teeth.

  “It’s okay to correct my form, you know. I won’t mind if you show me how to do it,” she says.

  I rub my shoulder and walk closer. “Since the target is so far away, you’ll want to aim above it, like this.” I reach over her shoulder and gently push her hand up. “And with your other arm, you want it to lay flat,” I say, pushing her elbow down. With my head next to hers and my arms guiding her hands, I suggest, “Go for it.”

  She lets the arrow fly, and it hits the nine point ring.

  “I did it!” she exclaims, grinning.

  I smile too, but then I look at how close we are. I hastily back off, blushing.

  I notice her rubbing her shoulder, and I say, “So, do you want to go get something to eat? I can order another pizza.”

  Lapis nods. “Yeah, that would actually be great.”

  “What if we ate outside and made it a picnic?” I asked shyly.

  “That would be amazing. I know the perfect place,” Lapis says, retrieving her arrows. “Meet me by the tennis courts in a half hour.”

oO0Oo

  When it was finally time to be at the picnic, I hiked down to the tennis courts, just as Lapis had said. I brought my ukulele with me, as well as some blankets.

  “What’s up, Evergreen?” I hear Lapis calling as I get near the courts. She has a blanket set up under a large oak tree next to the fence of the paved area.

  I sit down, and she pulls out a large cheese pizza, still warm. I notice a cooler with sodas, and a plate with slices of watermelon.

  “Nothing much, Rain,” I reply, using her nickname. “I brought extra blankets and my ukulele.”

  “While I brought all the food?” she asks, smiling. “I do all the hard work around here, cooking your food-”

  “The only time you ever tried to cook ended up with you almost burning down the dorms,” I interrupted.

  “And making your bed-”

  “We sleep on the floor. You just throw the blanket down,” I correct, rolling my eyes good naturedly.

  “I even vacuumed the other day,” Lapis adds, grinning.

  “Yeah, and the vacuum cleaner ate one of my socks. Thanks,” I reply.

  “I’m beginning to think that you don’t pull your weight around here,” Lapis finishes, sipping from her lemonade.

  I throw a blanket over her head. “Just shut up and eat your pizza,” I mutter nicely.

  As we eat, I absent mindedly strum my ukulele.

  “So, can you sing anything?” Lapis asks.

  “I can, but I don’t want to. My voice is, uh…” I start.

  “Come on, I won’t judge,” Lapis replies cheerfully.

  “I mean… It’s not just my voice. I don’t actually know the words to any of these songs. I mostly listen to, uh… dubstep.”

  Lapis giggles, and I blush. “What?” I ask, embarrassed.

  “You’re such a nerd. In a good way, though, I promise. Here, I can sing,” she responds.

  “Do you know this song?” I ask, handing her a page of sheet music.

  “No, sorry. I have sheet music from a song Steven wrote on my phone, though,” she replies.

  “Okay, sure. I’m a pretty good sight reader,” I reply, taking her phone. I begin to play the song. It’s an upbeat song; of course Steven wrote it.

  She begins to sing. She sings in soprano, and her voice rings loud and clear. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard, and I almost forget to keep playing. But I do.

  When it’s over, I’m still staring at her. She turns away and blushes. “Um,” she murmurs.

  “That was the best thing I’ve ever heard,” I reply, staring in awe.

  She blushes even harder. “It wasn’t that great. I was off key, and-”

  I cut her off. “It was amazing! Don’t sell yourself short!”

  She gives me a small smile and lays down. By this time, the stars are out, and it’s late enough to go to bed.

  “Was this why you brought the blankets?” she asks.

  I lay down, gazing up at the star speckled sky. “Yeah. I figured if we’re going to be sleeping on the ground anyways, why not just do it outside?” I asked.

  She shrugs. “Fair enough. Night, Peridot.”

  “Goodnight, Lapis.”

  As we fall asleep, I can’t help but think how lucky am I to have her, even just as a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AOTD: she's secretly jealous of Lapis because the blue haired girl can rock hair dye, is pretty, and pearl used to have a crush on her (you know, the whole lapearl ship)


	4. With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> wow the duo actually goes to class like normal students???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is my literal least fav chapter ugh  
> QOTD: why do u mention nightmares so much pls could u not

  Lapis:

  I slowly blink my eyes open. _I didn’t have any nightmares last night,_ I think to myself. That’s a first in a long time, especially considering I saw Jasper yesterday.

  I slowly sit up, yawning as I do. Peridot is still fast asleep on the blanket. _She’s kind of cute,_ I say in my head. I tense up. After Amethyst’s taunts yesterday, I don’t really want to think that way about her, or anyone for that matter.

  The sun seems high in the sky, and I turn Peridot’s wrist so that I can see her watch. It’s almost eight. Classes start in fifteen minutes.

  I gently shake Peridot awake. “Classes start in fifteen minutes, dude! Wake up!” I say.

  She squints at me. “Wha?” she murmurs, half asleep.

  “We’ve got to go or we’ll be late,” I explain.

  She slowly blinks uncomprehendingly. I have literally no time for her exhaustion, so I grab her hand and pull her to her feet. I start jogging, still holding her hand, and she good-naturedly follows.

  Once we reach the dorm, I grab my books and shove them into my bag. Peridot is awake by this time, and is slowly combing her hair. “Forget that,” I say. “You have to put on your uniform, too.”

  “There’s a uniform?” Peridot squawks.

  “Well, sort of. You just have to wear something that’s the same color as your house. We’re in pink, so you’ve got to wear at least one thing that’s pink,” I explain, rummaging through my dresser.

  “I don’t own anything pink,” Peridot says, shuffling her feet.

  I look up. “Is everything you own green?” I ask.

  “I have greys and blacks, too,” she replies abashedly. “Don’t forget that you’re the same way with blue. It’s like the sky threw up on you.”

  I tense up. She’s got me there. “Oh yeah? Well at least I own something pink! I won’t get dress coded on the first day!” I exclaim triumphantly.

  Peridot opens her mouth to reply, but is effectively cut off by the sound of the bell. My eyes widen. Class has already started, and we’re still arguing in the dorm. “Well, looks like you’re late on the first day, too,” Peridot remarks.

  I sigh. “Whatever. Take this,” I say, throwing a pink bandana at Peridot.

  She fumbles it, but manages to hang on. “Uh, thanks. But what are you going to wear?”

  I look down at my outfit. Right now I have on a black tank top, light blue ripped skinny jeans, and converse. “My shoes are pink. But you’d better find a fashionable way to wear that before…” I trail off.

  “Before class starts?” she asks in a knowing tone.

  “Shut up. Just shut up, and let’s get to class.” I say, marching determinedly off to class.

  She jogs to catch up. “What’s your first period?” she asks.

  “Since we’re in the more… ah, troubled dorm, we’ll have the first four periods together. Fifth period is free period for anyone without a special talent, but you and I will go to archery and swimming, respectively,” I explain.

  “Respectively? That’s the biggest word I think I’ve ever heard you use,” she jokes.

  “Yeah? Well, I can be smart, too,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck nervously.

  Just then, we arrive at our classroom, and Peridot is spared from answering.

oO0Oo

  “Ah, glad to see you could finally join us, Ms. Lazuli. I suppose you consider it beneath you to arrive on time; better to join us later and make a scene. That’s what you like doing, right? Making a scene?”

  I tense up. I recognize that voice. It’s our teacher, Ms. Pink Diamond. She’s always hated me. These past four years under her have been great.

  “Nice to see you too, Ms. Diamond. Tell me, did you get fatter over the summer, or is your outfit adding on the pounds instead?” I ask with an innocent smile.

  “You must be losing your vision, perhaps Jasper gave you one black eye too many,” Pink says with a smirk.

  I clench my fists. Jasper’s parents are close friends with Pink, yet she believes that I’m not good enough for Jasper, so she works as hard as she can to make my life a mess. I’m about to scream vile things at Pink Diamond, but I feel Peridot’s hand on my shoulder, and my rage disappears.

  “It’s not worth it,” she whispers.

  I take a deep breath and let my anger leave. My fists slowly unclench, and I force a smile onto my face.

  “Good thing to see your friend has an ounce of sense, Miss Lazuli. That’s an ounce more than you have, I might add. What’s her name?” Pink asks.

  “Peridot,” the blonde girl replies.

  “Last name?” Pink asks, raising her eyebrows.

  “I.. um… don’t really use it,” Peridot replies.

  A beat of silence. Then, “If we were on a first name basis, it would imply that we were friends. We’re not friends. I hate every last one of you bratty students. And as your teacher and the ruling authority in this classroom, I’d like to hear your name. Now,” Pink demands.

  Peridot pales. “I don’t have a last name.”

  Pink narrows her eyes, but only says, “Fine. Take your seats. I might as well let you two sit together. Maybe now, Lazuli will actually have a friend,” she taunts.

  I grit my teeth and take my usual seat under the window. Peridot sits next to me. Amethyst and Pearl are in the row ahead of us.

  Amethyst turns around. “Nice comeback, Lapis. You called her fat, and you didn’t even get a detention! Priceless!” she says, laughing.

  “Yes, but you should still be more careful,” Pearl remarks quietly.

  I lean back in my chair. “Since when have I ever been careful?” I ask arrogantly.

  “Never. And that’s the problem,” Pearl says.

  I grin. “You call it a problem, I call it a redeeming quality.”

  Pearl sighs and turns her attention back to the board. Amethyst grins and gives me one last fist bump before pretending to pay attention again. Peridot attempts to pay attention, but Pink Diamond’s lessons tend to put people to sleep. I’ve long since given up on tuning in, so I just doodle on my paper.

  “Nice drawing,” Peridot whispers.

  I jump. “How long have you been watching me draw?” I ask.

  “About ten minutes now. Pink really can’t hold her audience, huh,” Peridot replies.

  “Nah. Barely anyone cares anymore. I just count down the minutes until I can swim, and that’s enough to keep me sane,” I reply, still sketching.

  I open my mouth to reply, but before I can, Pink Diamond goes, “Miss Lazuli, have you ever considered actually trying to listen to the lesson? Or are you so incompetent you can’t even follow such a simple task?”

  I flinch. “Maybe if you were a better teacher,” I begin.

  The bell cuts through my angry retort. I stalk off to lunch without looking back.

oO0Oo

  Peridot catches up to me after a minute, saying, “Hey, I grabbed your stuff. You okay?”

  I turn around and take my pack gratefully. “Thanks. I hate her. She knows just how to get on my nerves. I can’t go back there.”

  Peridot considers this for a moment, and then says, “Then do you want to just skip?”

  I raise an eyebrow. “You? Skip? Are you sure you’re up for that, Miss Rule Follower?”

  She blushes. “I’m rebellious! Look, I’m not even wearing my uniform,” she exclaims, taking off her pink bandana.

  “Oh man, you’re right,” I say sarcastically. But I know Peridot’s genuinely trying to help. “Let’s go somewhere fun,” I reply.

“Where? Our room is safe, but if we leave, the school will know we’ve skipped,” Peridot comments.

    I grin. “That’s why we’re going to leave school property. I hope you know how to jump a fence, Evergreen.”

oO0Oo

  We walk up to the chain link fence that encircles the school grounds. I immediately put my foot through a link, plant my hands on the top, and vault over the barrier, landing smoothly on the ground. Peridot, however, does no such thing.

  “Hey, Lapis? I might need some assistance here,” she calls.

  “It’s easy, dude. Just climb up it like a ladder, and then hop off,” I respond.

    She reluctantly puts her feet through the chinks in the gate, until she reaches the top. “Now what?” she asks.

  Before I can answer, she slips off the top. A look of fear appears on her face, and I rush to steady her. But I’m too late, and she’s already started to fall. I stretch my arms out, and catch her before she hits the ground.

  She stares up into my eyes, my ice blue irises against her pale green. Her gaze is unwavering, and I being to blush. She looks away, and I slowly let her down. I’m internally screaming, but thankfully I keep my mouth shut.

  “Where to now?” she murmurs quietly.

  “Since we have our mod five to go to after this, let’s stay close by. Do you want to just hang out in the woods?” I ask.

  She nods, and we cross the road to reach the forest that lies beyond.

oO0Oo

  “Do you come out here often?” she asks.

  “Often enough that I have some sodas stored out in a secret spot,” I reply.

  We hike for about ten minutes until we come across a small, grassy alcove covered by the green canopy. Light dapples the floor of the enclosure, and the smell of earth and moss wafts through the air.

  “Here’s the place, dude. If you want some soda, there’s some stored in the knot of that tree over there,” I state, pointing at a great oak.

  I sit down with my back against a maple, and close my eyes. As I do, I begin to hear the more discreet sounds of the forest. The gentle trickling of a nearby creek, the high pitched warbling of birds, the sound of a gentle breeze rustling the autumn leaves. I take a deep breath.

  “So, what’s there to do out here?” Peridot asks, bored. I’d hoped she’d see the beauty in this place as I did, but it was just a dream.

  I squint my eyes open. “Enjoy nature, I guess. This is more of a relaxing spot than anything. What do you do when you’re in the woods?”

  “I mostly shoot. I can hand make bows, even if they’re not very good. I’m not really in the mood, though,” she replies.

  “Then just come over here and relax, get some sleep,” I suggest.

  She slowly walks over and sits against the back of the tree next to me. As time passes, I notice more and more about her; the way her hands never stop moving, how her usual celery green eyes reflect the colors of the changing leaves, how she begins to calm down in the forest. I hear her humming quietly to herself, and I smile.

  “What?” she asks, blushing.

  “Huh?”

  “You’re smiling at me,” she explains.

  “Sorry,” I say, embarrassed.

  “No, no, it’s fine; I just want to know what you’re thinking,” she reasons.

  “Um,” I start.

  “Go on,” she encourages.

  I bite my lip. “You’re… kind of cute… in a good way…” I trail off.

  Her face turns red, and she says, “Oh, uh, thanks. You too.”

  We both pause. I break the silence, saying, “I’m going to try to sleep. Wake me up before swimming starts.”

oO0Oo

  When I slowly blink my eyes open, I notice that the sun is considerably lower in the sky than it had been when I’d fallen asleep. I quickly sit upright, but before I can stand up, I hear Peridot say, “Relax. We still have ten minutes.”

  I sigh. “Thanks.”

  “What for?”

  “For waking me up…” I explain. There was much to be said but those words never left my mouth: how I was grateful that she watched over me, that it made my day when she chased away the nightmares, the way she made me feel true confidence, not the fake kind I’d been showing for the past two years.

  Her eyes show that she understands some, if not most of what failed to leave my lips.

“I’ll always be there for you.”

  Her promise is worth more than gold.

oO0Oo

  The aquatic center, as the school likes to call it, is my favorite place to be, though I just call it the pool. It’s a giant room, about fifty feet fall, with windows taking up the entire wall space on two opposing ends. They both look out over the forest, though one is pointing west and the other to the east. One of the other walls is dedicated to bleachers, and the last is a story high and dedicated to various awards won by the swim team. I have a couple team awards from the past three years here, and a few individual ones as well. I’ve even set the current record for freestyle. After a story, that wall cuts off, leading to a loft-type area with a smaller, recreational pool used to teach kids how to swim, and also for parties.

  The main pool itself is Olympic sized and painted blue. I even have a footprint in a part of the cement from when it was first repaved. The second pool is much smaller, ranges from three to twelve feet in depth, and has a water slide and diving board.

  The lighting in the center is horrible, so the color of the light depends on the scenery outside. When there’s a sunset, the whole room glows purple, and in the spring, the light filters though the leaves outside, turning the space green. At night, the only light comes from the pool itself, and the room is a shimmering blue.

  So you can see why, after class ends everyday, I still stay here even after everyone else is gone. I begin to lose track of time, the only indicator being the lighting outside. It must be late, since it’s pitch black outside, and I’m still swimming, diving under the water like an otter and rising back up. I’ll go to the bottom, let all my breath out, and lie on the floor, staring at the ripples on the water, and then surge back up to the surface. I love to swim more than anything else in the world.

  After holding my breath for almost a minute, I push back up to the surface, when I see Peridot standing at the side of the pool. “Did you eat dinner?” she asks.

  I shake my head. “I’ve been in the pool all day. What time is it?”

  “It’s after eleven. You should get to bed,” Peridot says, handing me a towel.

  I lay it on the side of the pool. “No thanks, I’m having a blast. Did you have dinner, or did you wait for me?”

  “I just got out of the archery range a half hour ago, and then I went looking for you,” Peridot answers.

  “Looks like we both lose track of time,” I remark, grinning.

  “Whatever. We should get back soon. I’m exhausted,” Peridot presses.

  “Did you shower yet today?” I ask.

  “No, I was planning to wait until tomorrow,” she answers. “Why?”

  “Why wait?” I ask, grabbing her shin.

  “Oh no you don’t!” Peridot exclaims, but it’s too late. I pull her into the pool, and she gives a small squeal.

  “Lapis! What was that for?” she exclaims.

  “I just didn’t think you’d been in the pool yet,” I said, grinning. “You’ve got to experience everything in this school, and I’m helping.”

  “I’ll get you for that,” she growls good naturedly, and she begins to paddle after me. Sadly, she has no chance catching up to someone who’s competed all her life in swimming events.

  I make it to the other end of the pool before she’s even halfway there. “How are you so fast?” she calls, her voice echoing in the cavernous room.

  “Same way you can hit the bullseye of a target from three hundred feet away,” I yell in reply.

  I begin to swim back to her, and we meet halfway. When I reach her, she splashes me as much as she can. “I have to dry off my shoes now. Do you know how long that takes?” she asks, pumping her arms as quickly as she can to try to get me wet.

  I grin. “Probably a long time,” I note. I spin my arms in circles, creating large waves that hit her head on.

  She uses her arms to shield her face. Smiling, she turns around and beings to kick the water in order to splash me.

  “Legs? No fair,” I complain, though I’m still grinning. I dive under water, coming up just by her face. I splash her as hard as the can, and she sputters.

  “Hey! My mouth was open,” she says. I can’t take her too seriously though, because she’s still laughing.

  We continue to splash each other for the next ten, fifteen, twenty minutes. We only stop when we’re both out of breath.

  As we begin to get out of the pool, Peridot takes the ladder, but I’m too impatient to wait, so I plant my hands on the side of the pool and push up. Water cascades off me, and I use my legs to get my balance. When I look back at Peridot, I see her mouth open.

  “You have a six pack?” she exclaims, looking at my stomach. “Since when?”

  I look down. “Oh, hey, I guess I do. Uh, yeah, I have to stay in shape for tournaments, I suppose. I’ve never really noticed.”

  She blushes. “How do you not notice a six pack?” she demands, trying hard not to look. Her eyes betray her.

  “Whatever, dude. Let’s just head back to the dorm. I’m crazy tired,” I state, pulling my towel around my shoulders.

  “I wonder why. Maybe it’s because you’ve been swimming for the past eight hours,” Peridot says sarcastically.

  “Thanks for the explanation, dude. Let’s just go sleep,” I say, walking out the door.

oO0Oo

  Too tired to put on a proper outfit, I just wear a bra and short shorts that I outgrew years ago to bed. Peridot notices this, but doesn’t say anything.

  “Night, dude,” I mutter, pulling my blanket over my shoulders.

  “Goodnight, Lapis,” Peridot murmurs.

  She turns off the light, but sleep doesn’t come. Not after one hour, or two. I don’t notice when I drift off to sleep, but I’m very aware of when I wake, because it’s from a nightmare.

  I sit up, panting. Peridot has her hand on my shoulder. My eyes are wide with fear.

  “Nightmare?” she asks softly.

  I nod, and bury my head in her shoulder. She hugs me, and I don’t hesitate to hug her back.

  “You’re okay,” she whispers, and I nod, because I know I’m okay, now that she’s here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AOTD: because it's a developing theme that ends after the first 5 chapters and it shows how much safer lapis feels bc her nightmares where she relives her traumas completely go away when she's with peridot she's completely at ease


	5. Where We Talk Without Talking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis leaves Peridot who then goes on a toaster stealing rampage with some rebels and then Lapis draws ship art and posts it to her blog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ha this chapter summary must sound so dramatic haha lol  
> QOTD: jasper's a pretty flat character

  Peridot:

  It’s been one week since the last time Lapis had a nightmare, and since then, we’ve grown closer. I trust her whole-heartedly. Sadly, since I’ve been spending so much time with her, I haven’t really made any other friends, which is unfortunate, seeing as Lapis has a swim meet this weekend, and I’ll be all alone.

  “You sure you’ll be okay?” I ask as Lapis packs a few things in a blue duffel bag.

  “Yeah, no worries,” she replies.

  Today she has on her black swimming championship jacket with a white tank top and blue athletic shorts. Ever since we went swimming, I can’t help but notice how pretty she is.

  “So you’ll be back on Sunday?” I question.

  “Yep. It’ll be fine, dude. I promise,” she says, giving me a quick hug. I tensed up for just a moment before relaxing.

  “You’ll remember to text?” I ask hopefully, as she walks out the door.

  “Of course. Have fun, Peri,” she calls just before the door closes.

  I immediately pull out my laptop and open up skype. I send a quick message to Lapis.

  “ _How are you doing_?” I send.

  Lapis walks back into the room, an exasperated look on her face. “Peridot, I literally just left. I’m doing fine.”

  I blush and twiddle my fingers. “I know, but I’ll miss you.”

  She grins. “And I think that’s sweet, but it’s only a weekend. You still have the others in our dorm to hang out with. Now, I’ve got to go, or I’ll miss my bus. See you, Evergreen,” she says.

  “Goodbye, Rain,” I mumble.

oO0Oo

  I’m assuming that if I message Lapis this quickly, she’ll get annoyed, which is fair, but I have nothing else to do. I could go to the archery range, but I need a break. I shoot for three or more hours a day, and even though it’s my favorite thing in the world, I need a break.

  I bring my laptop into the common room and begin to write. And by that, I mean intermittently switching between Microsoft Word, Tumblr, Skype, and changing my YouTube music playlist.

  “ _Hey,_ ” I message Lapis. It’s been a good half hour by now.

  “ _What’s up?”_ Lapis replies.

  I smile. She’s finally online. “ _Just writing,_ ” I send.

  “ _Send me the link,_ ” she asks.

  I quickly upload the file. “ _What are you doing?_ ” I question.

  “ _You know I’m on the bus, Peri.”_ A pause. “ _Actually, I’m trying to escape my teammate’s bad taste in music by messaging you. They’ve been playing trash for the past few hours and I have now embraced my death.”_

_“At least you don’t have to hear Pearl and Amethyst screaming three rooms down. I’m super tempted to tell them to shut the hell up, but I doubt they’d listen. They’d probably scream at me instead, and I am not ready for that level of emotional trauma.”_

I imagined Lapis laughing. At least, I hoped I was funny enough that she’d laugh. Probably not. _“Omg so true. What are they arguing about this time?”_ she asks.

  I listen for a moment, then respond, _“Dirty clothes, I think. Who knows? Not me. I literally don’t know anything.”_

I could picture her laugh clearly this time, and so I was only a little surprised when she said, “ _Hey, I’ve got to go. My teammates saw me smile at my laptop and are asking questions, so I’m turning it off so they don’t see my messages. Because trust me, they will try, and I am not letting them see the other things on my laptop.”_

_“What else is on your laptop? I’m honestly kind of concerned right now.”_

_“Um…” she answers._

_“Lapis, I really hope it’s not nsfw, because your blog is weird enough as it is without that.”_

_“No, it’s just ship art and fandom stuff,” she grudgingly replies._

_“Oh my stars, you’re just as big of a nerd as I am,”_ I say smugly.

 _“At least I don’t say ‘oh my stars,’ so you can’t call me out there.”_ Before I have time to feel hurt, she says, _“I’m kidding. It’s actually kind of cute how you do that. But I seriously have to go.”_

  Now that she’s gone, I continue to write. As I’m on the fifth chapter of my book (it’s a sequel, I’ve been doing some heavy writing,) someone taps on my shoulder.

  “Whatcha writing, dude?”

  I jump. Amethyst was looking over my shoulder at my laptop.

  I quickly close the top and give a nervous laugh. “Nothing. It’s fine. What are you doing?” I ask.

  “I’ve got nothing to do. Pearl kicked me out of our room while she cleans it again, so I’m pretty bored. But hey, maybe now we can do something together,” she explains.

  I raise an eyebrow. “Like what?” I ask.

  “Well, now that your girlfriend is away,” Amethyst starts.

  “We’re not dating!” I exclaim.

  “And now that my uptight roommate is busy,” she continues.

  “If anything, you and Pearl should date.” I counter.

  “We should do something against the rules while we still can,” Amethyst finishes.

  “Are you calling Lapis uptight? Because we skipped school last week.”

  “Let’s go steal some food from another dorm!” Amethyst exclaims.

  I sigh. “Sure, why not?”

  “I’ll go get Garnet and Ruby. They’re okay with breaking the rules, too,” Amethyst calls, already running down the hallway.

oO0Oo

  Once our team was assembled, Amethyst suggests, “We should hit White dorm. I don’t think any of us knows anyone there.”

  I shrug. “I don’t know anyone anywhere else, so I’m cool wherever. But if that’s what you want, sure.”

  “Let’s get going, then,” Garnet says. “That food won’t steal itself.”

  Once we’re just outside of the White dorms, Ruby asks, “How much food should we take?”

  Amethyst punches her palm. “As much as you can carry.”

  I grin, and burst into the dorm. A few confused looking students are studying on the couches, but they ignored me. At least, until Ruby came in shouting, “Give us your food, losers!”

  “No way,” One student says. “Get lost.”

  Ruby barges past him and makes her way to the fridge. Amethyst and Garnet come rushing in.

  “This is an ambush!” Amethyst yells, sprinting for the fridge.

  I rush to the counter and grab everything I can. Bread? Yes. Fruit? Sure. Toaster? Definitely.

  “What the – is that our toaster?” a girl exclaims. “I need that to make to make mini waffles! Oh, you’re so dead, dudes. No one takes our food and gets away with it.”

  The girl seems angry, and I can’t blame her. I’d be mad too if someone took my only way to make mini waffles.

  “I’ll hold her back,” Garnet calls as the rest of us continue to pillage the stores.

  Before we leave, I also grab some plates, the salt and pepper, and some mini bagels.

  “Run!” Amethyst calls, and we all sprint out of the room. I hear loud footsteps behind us, and I know people are following.

  “This way!” Garnet calls, leading us down a different hallway.

  “This isn’t the shortest way to our dorm!” I exclaim.

  “We can’t let them know it was us! This way, we’ll pass Blue dorm, and we’ll lose them there!” Garnet calls in reply.

oO0Oo

  Once we’re back in the dorm, we all drop our stuff on the ground and sit around it in a circle.

  “Dudes,” Amethyst says, laughing, “Who took the toaster?”

  “That was me. Did you see the look on that girl’s face when I did?” I asked, now beginning to laugh.

  “It was priceless,” Amethyst cries, cackling with laughter.

  “I tripped her while we were running away,” Ruby says, now joining in.

  “I think we have enough food to make a picnic out of this,” Amethyst says, wiping a tear from her eye.

  “I brought the plates,” I say, holding up the porcelain.

  “I took some sodas,” Ruby admits.

  “I got the good stuff. I got three bags of Doritos, and this!” Amethyst exclaims, holding up a jar of Nutella.

  Needless to say, dinner was a huge success, and not just because of the Nutella. The toaster I stole now rested in our kitchen, labeled, “Taken from White dorm.” I even ate so many Doritos that I earned a new nickname, Peridorito, though I like Evergreen better.

  Ruby chugged so much soda, she ran off to the bathroom and never came back, but I think she just went with Sapphire. Garnet, Amethyst, and I played cards against humanity, which is the best game of all time, in the common room, and eventually Pearl, Steven, and Connie joined in. It was one of the best nights of my life.

oO0Oo

  Just before bed, I turned my laptop back on and checked my skype. I had two new messages from Lapis.

  The first one read, “ _Remember that chapter I had you send me earlier? I got so bored on the bus ride that I drew out some concept art for your book. Hope you like it.”_

  The second was her picture. It was absolutely stunning. The forms were stylized, yet accurate, the shading was perfect, and the background was gorgeous. My jaw dropped.

  _“This is amazing. I’m so using it as the cover art. Where’d you learn to draw like that?”_ I sent.

  Luckily, Lapis came online pretty quickly. _“I’m glad you like it! It took me about five hours.”_

 _“You’re an amazing artist. Are you at the hotel now?”_ I asked.

  _“Yeah, I just got there. Hold on a second, I’ve got to charge my laptop.”_ There was a short break, and then, “ _Hey, is my charger in the room?”_

  I glanced at her dresser. A white cord was lying on the top. “ _Yeah. Does that mean you don’t have one?”_ I sent.

  _“Yep. My laptop’s on nine percent, so I have a feeling it’ll shut off soon. I’d better say goodnight now.”_

 _“Goodnight and good luck, Rain,”_ I sent. I even added some emojis for good measure. But just as I hit send, I noticed that I sent the heart emoji instead of the sleepy face one.

  _Shit._

  I tried to put my computer in airplane mode, but it was too late. The seen icon had appeared next to the message.

  _Double shit._

  My face started burning up. Oh my stars, what was I thinking? A heart? Now she was going to think I liked her like that, which I did, but that was beside the point. She would probably think I was weird, and just as I was about to die of shame, I heard the familiar ping that meant she sent another message. I was almost too scared to look, but I was glad I did, because she sent,

  “ _Same goes for you, Evergreen. Night,”_ followed by the heart emoji and winky face.

  I let out a deep breath, but I was internally screaming. Did she like me back, or was she just playing? I shut down my laptop and closed the lid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AOTD: well that's not a question really but let's just say i still have some tricks up my sleeve for her that y'aint ready for ;)


	6. And Kiss Without Kissing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis is a n g e r y and d r u n k

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ha i know i followed a mini cliche for this one but like i wrote this a long time ago (i'm only updating the original ff.net chapters, not rewriting) (which is also why these past few chapters are poorly written, my bad.) and it's going to lead into something that's not cliche because i'm so done with that

  Lapis:

  The only thing I remember about the bus ride is that I was too excited to sit still. I was always tapping my hands and feet, changing how I was sitting, or tapping my laptop keyboard even though it was dead.

  After the bus stop, I, along with several others, ran straight inside the school. However, while they needed badly to use the restroom, I wanted to see Peridot.

  I sprinted up to the dorm, opened the door, and found her typing on her laptop. When she saw me, she blinked, stood up, and pulled me into a hug.

  “You’re back!” she exclaims.

  I grin. “Looks like you missed me. How was everything here while I was gone?” I asked.

  “I stole a toaster,” Peridot cheerfully replies.

  I laugh. “That’s amazing.”

  We pull away awkwardly.

  “So, how’d you do?” Peridot asks.

  “I got two gold medals and one silver,” I reply, shrugging like it was no big deal. It was definitely a big deal.

  “That’s awesome!” she replies, grinning.

  “Thanks,” I reply, rubbing the back of my neck.

  A silence falls. Neither of us knows what to say.

  “Uh… Shouldn’t you be in bed? It’s like three in the morning, and we have class tomorrow,” I state.

  She shrugs. “I was waiting for you to get back.”

  I lightly shove her shoulder. “Peridot! You should’ve just slept! You need rest!” I exclaim.

  She shrugs. “I’ll sleep now if it’ll make you feel better.”

  “It’ll make you feel better.” I correct.

  We both lay down on the floor and turn off the lights. Even though it’s late, sleep doesn’t come for a few hours.

  But it doesn’t last.

  “Peridot? You awake?” I whisper, groggily rubbing my eyes.

  “You too?” she murmurs in response.

  “Sleep is for the weak,” I mutter.

  “Lapis, you love sleep,” she replies, turning over to face me much to the dismay of my heartbeat, as it quickly picked up at the sight of her face.

  “That is because I am very weak,” I add, a lopsided grin etched on my face.

  “You won three medals. That’s not very weak,” she comments, raising an eyebrow.

  I drowsily put my finger against her lips to silence her. “Sh. I’m not in the mood for your positive thinking.”

  “What are you in the mood for, then?”

  “Sleep.” The word comes out slurred.

  Peridot pulls the blanket higher. “Alright. Sleep all you want.”

  It doesn’t work.

  “Peridot?”

  “Hm?”

  “I can’t sleep.”

  Peridot opens her eyes slowly. “What’s up?”

“I’m just… too busy thinking,” I admit.

  “Thinking about what?” she asks.

  “Life, I guess. It’s nothing,” I cover up.

  “Did you have nightmares while you were gone?” she asks.

  “Yeah,” I concede.

  She reaches over and takes my hand in hers. My face turns bright red.

  “I’m here for you, okay?” she reassures me.

  I pull the blankets higher with my free hand. “Thanks, Evergreen. Goodnight.”

  “Night,” she says.

  We fall asleep still holding hands.

oO0Oo

  By Thursday, everything was still the same. But in class that day, while I was doodling, Amethyst passed me a note. It read, “Party off campus tomorrow night. You and Peri should come.”

  I passed the note to Peridot, who nodded and shrugged. I grinned. I’d been to these parties before, and they were awesome. Friday night was going to be one to remember.

oO0Oo

  Just an hour before the party, Peridot and I were getting ready in our room.

  “Have you ever been to a party before?” I asked.

  “No, this is my first. Is there alcohol and stuff?” she replies.

  “Sometimes. It really depends. We’ll find out when we get there,” I explain.

  “Cool. What should I wear?” Peridot questions.

  “I don’t know. I’m just wearing this tank top and frayed jean shorts. As long as it’s not athletic gear, you should be fine,” I answer.

  “How’s this?” she asks.

  I glance over my shoulder to see her wearing a thin lace tank top and black leggings. I begin to blush.

  “I’ll take that as a ‘looks great,’” Peridot says, smirking.

  I ignore her and say, “Let’s just head out.”

oO0Oo

  After a half hour long walk, the two of us finally arrive at the ruins of an old building, now reduced to rubble. Someone has lightly furnished it with tables for refreshments and chairs for sitting and chatting, but most of the space is taken up by an electronic dance mat.

  As we’re twenty minutes late, the place is already crowded with people dancing, flirting, and drinking. As we walk inside, I hear Amethyst call to us from the top of a staircase.

  “Hey, guys! You finally made it!” she calls.

  Peridot and I slowly walk up to the purple-haired girl. “Hey, did you know someone brought drinks to this party?” she asks.

  I smirk. “How much are you planning on having?”

  “None, actually. I want to remember the first time Peridot here gets drunk. I bet it’ll be hilarious.”

   “I’m not drinking tonight,” Peridot claims.

  Amethyst groans. “Awww, what? Well, Lapis, at least you should have something to drink. Could you get me a soda?”

  “Fine, but I’ll have soda too. I want to remember tonight,” I say, walking off to the snack bar.

oO0Oo

When I finally get to the snack bar after minutes of weaving through the crowd, I pour myself and Amethyst some Dr. Pepper, and look back at where the two are standing. Peridot is saying something, to which Amethyst laughs loudly. She then puts her arm on Peridot’s shoulder, and begins to twirl a strand of her hair. I know what this is. It’s flirting.

  I drop my soda onto the dance mat.

oO0Oo

  As I watch Amethyst talk with Peridot, my stomach begins to churn. Sure, Peridot and I had never said anything about dating, but Amethyst should know to back off. And Peridot… Did she know Amethyst was flirting, or did she not like me in that way?

  Heat rushes to my face, and I walk over to the cooler. I grab a beer and start chugging. Soon one beer becomes three, and then five, and then I lose track because my thoughts are swirling around in my head like goldfish, and I’m too slow to catch them.

  Should I confront Peridot? My brain says no, but the alcohol in me says otherwise.

  I slowly drift over to where Amethyst and Peridot are laughing together. “Hey, nerds,” I slur. “Whatcha talking about?” I ask, leaning heavily on Peridot’s shoulder.

  “Lapis, how much did you drink?” Peridot questions quietly, pushing me into a standing position.

  “Eleventeen,” I reply, giggling.

  “Can you handle yourself, or do you need me to get you home?” Peridot asks. As she says this, I notice Amethyst glare at me.

  I grin. “I can handle myself, Evergreen. As you can see, I’m the life of the party.”

  Peridot raises an eyebrow. “Are you sure?” she asks.

  I mutter an indistinct ‘yes,’ and stumble my way through the crowded warehouse to nowhere in particular. The strobe lights all blur together, and the music becomes a faint buzzing. I find an old couch, and lay down just before the room becomes black and I sink into nothing.

oO0Oo

  Peridot:

  I watch Lapis slowly walk off, but before I can chase after her and stop her, Amethyst grabs my arm. “C’mon, just stay a little longer, Peri. I’m having a really great time.”

  I shake my head. “I’ve got to go find Lapis. I think she’s drunk enough to get herself in trouble.”

  “Who needs her, dude? You’ve got me now,” Amethyst whines.

  I snatch my arm away. “Lapis is drunk! I have to go help her. What’s your deal? You’d do the same for Pearl.”

  “Look… Pearl couldn’t make it tonight. Rose – that’s Pearl’s old roommate – came back in town, and Pearl’s flirting with her again. I need someone right now,” Amethyst explains.

  I wrinkle my nose in disgust. “You’re just using me to make Pearl jealous!” I exclaim, stomping off into the crowd.

  I hear Amethyst’s protests behind me, but she can’t navigate through the crowd as well as I can. I finally find Lapis semi-conscious on an old, green couch, and I say, “C’mon Lapis, let’s go home.”

  “I don’t wanna,” she mutters.

  “Then what do you want to do?” I ask gently.

  “I wanna tell you I love you, but I think it’s too soon. Maybe later,” she giggles.

  I freeze. Was this the alcohol talking, or something more? “Let’s see how you feel about that tomorrow,” I reason.

  “I feel great,” she murmurs.

  I sigh, and pick her up in my arms like a firefighter. “Let’s get you home,” I say softly.

  She buries her head in my shoulder and wraps her arms around my neck.

  “I love you, Peridot,” she whispers. I can smell the alcohol on her breath, a rancid odor that makes me cringe.

  But that doesn’t stop me from answering, “I love you too, Lapis.” Because I do.

  She giggles, and seems content to rest in my arms as I carry her home.

oO0Oo

  When we finally get back to the dorm, I gently lay Lapis in bed and pull the covers over her.

  I begin rummaging in my dresser in order to find pajamas. All of a sudden, I hear a noise, a rasping voice.

  “Peridot? Lean closer. I have something to tell you,” Lapis whispers.

  I warily lean close to her face. All of a sudden, she kisses my cheek. My eyes widen in shock, and I quickly pull away as she quietly giggles.

  I turn off the lights so Lapis can sleep, but rather than lying on the ground to sleep, I instead walk to the bathroom.

  I turn on one of the taps, and cold water rushes into the spotless white porcelain sink. I cup my hands, letting them overflow with water. I stare into my reflection in the puddle in my palms. I have deep lines under my eyes, and my face has a frightened look about it. I look scared, shocked, confused. It’s not me.

  I splash my face with the water and rub my hands through my hair. I put my hands on the edge of the counter and close my eyes. Was this night even real? I faced two girls; one who used me, and the other…

  I let out a deep sigh and curl up under the countertops. There was no way I could go back to my room with Lapis, not tonight. I would just stay here.

  In the bathroom.

  Alone.

  I fall asleep not to the familiar sound of Lapis’ heavy breathing, but instead to the hum of florescent lights and my own heartbeat.


	7. And I Realize What I've Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lapis hits her head and reaches a state of enlightenment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos to the dude who figured out the chapter titles make a mini story  
> QOTD: why'd you use a party cliche where one dude gets drunk and kisses the other  
> AOTD: to show that they aren't going to suddenly lose the pants after one drunken kiss i mean come on i've seen like 2 billion fics like that. they also aren't going to suddenly profess their undying love because seriously ...

Peridot:

  I wake up early in the morning to the sounds of quick footsteps, followed by a horrid retching noise. Looks like someone had a hangover. And based off her state last night, I’d like to bet it was Lapis. I curled up in a tighter ball under the sink, hoping she wouldn’t notice me.

  After the person stopped throwing up, I heard her call, “Peridot? Why the actual-” The person was cut off again as they attempted to cuss while simultaneously throwing up whatever was left in their stomach into the toilet. “-are you under the sink?” There was no doubt that it was Lapis now.

  “I’m… uh… Bonding with the plumbing?” I say in an unsure tone, standing up.

  “Seriously? Are you hungover too? I don’t remember you drinking last night.” A pause. “I don’t remember much at all. What happened?” she asks.

  I use the sink in an attempt to avoid her eyes. She would know if I lied to her face. “Oh, nothing much.”

  “I know I got drunk. That much is pretty obvious. And based on how much vomit is now in the third toilet stall – which is a lot, by the way, - I’m guessing I was too intoxicated to get home on my own. Tell me what happened.” she demands.

  “Uh…” I start. How could I tell her? Did she really not remember?

  I hear her footsteps grow closer, and I flinch.

  “You’re acting really awkward…” Lapis murmurs, trailing off at the end.

  I turn to my left, and she’s less than a foot away. I jump back.

  “Peridot,” she says, looking into my eyes. “What did I _do_ last night?”

oO0Oo

  Lapis:

  “Peridot? What did I _do_ last night?” I asked. I was terrified to know the answer.

  “Well, uh, you see,” she starts. “You went to the party, had a great time, too much to drink, and then you went home and everything is normal. Yes.”

  “Peridot, what the actual hell went down last night? You wouldn’t be acting this way if just that happened. There had to be more,” I demand.

  “I really don’t want to say,” she murmurs.

  “Please,” I plead.

  She scrunches up her face, then yells, “You don’t want to know!”

  I stare coldly at her, and she gulps. “I’ll remember it eventually, Peridot. It’s only a matter of time. Better that I hear it from you than to hear it from others.”

  “The others don’t know what really happened…” Peridot mutters scornfully.

  “Then tell me!” I exclaim, losing my cool. Not like I was cool to begin with.

  She silently shakes her head and walks out of the room, leaving me shameful and enraged at the same time.

  “You can’t just leave!” I shout. No reply is given.

oO0Oo

  In the past, skateboarding has always cleared my head, and today is no exception. I head to my favorite spot, by the abandoned tennis courts, and begin to skate the stairs.

  I jump onto the rail, grind down, and land smoothly on the pavement below.

  _What could’ve happened that would cause Peridot to yell at me?_ I wonder.

  The only time I’ve ever seen her mad was when Jasper hurt me on the first day of school. But then, Jasper had clearly been in the wrong.

  _Had I done something wrong?_

  I realize this just as my board lands on the handrail for the next staircase.

  I remember only bits and pieces. Trying to get Amethyst to stop flirting with Peridot. Passing out. A drunken whisper, a promise really, to Peridot, declaring my love for her. Burying my head in her shoulders as she carried me two miles home. Kissing her on her cheek, the shocked look on her face, her running away.

  I blink back to reality too late. I’m falling, and there’s no one around to catch me. My skateboard slips out from under my feet, and I fall backwards. My spine hits the rail with a crack, and I bounce off onto the ground face first. My hands and head get the worst of it, but that pain is nothing compared to what I feel on the inside.

  _I kissed Peridot!_ I internally scream.

  No wonder she was acting so awkward. I lay on the ground for a few minutes, thinking things over. After that, I slowly sit up, assessing the damage. My hands and knees are bruised and scraped, I had a bruise on my forehead, just above my left eye; and my nose has a scratch going across the bridge.

 I slowly stood up, using the same rail I’d fallen off of to regain my balance. I began to limp back to the dorm room. Peridot and I had some things to discuss.

  But there was one other thing I remembered, too. Peridot had said that she loved me too.

oO0Oo

  After a ten minute walk that only should’ve taken two, I finally open up the door to the commons. Peridot is sitting in a beanbag chair, typing on her laptop. When she hears the door open, she turns away.

  “I remember last night,” I declare.

  She turns around slowly, but when she sees me, her eyes widen in shock. “What the hell happened to you?” she gasps.

  “I fell. Not important. But I-” I start.

  “Of course it’s important! You’re bleeding! Here, I have some bandages in our room, follow me,” she says, standing up at once and rushing to our room.

  I stand still, puzzled. How could she still care about me after last night?

  I slowly walk into our room, where she has a first-aid kit laid out on the bed. “Sit down,” she commands, rummaging through the kit.

  I do as I’m told, more out of confusion than obedience. She takes my left wrist in her hand, and begins to wrap an ace bandage around it. I flinch and wince, but she takes no notice, and begins to treat the other marks. But when she gets to the scratch on my nose, she looks into my eyes, searching for something. Remorse, maybe? My anger from earlier has evaporated.

  “Why are you doing this?” I mumble.

  “Because you’re hurt,” she explains.

  “You don’t have to. No one would blame you, not after last night,” I mutter.

  She falls silent for a moment, then says, “You were drunk, it wasn’t completely your fault.”

  “I chose to get drunk. And then I… I played with your feelings. I didn’t ask. I’m sorry,” I apologize, looking down.

  “It’s alright. You weren’t the only one who played with my feelings. Amethyst used me to make Pearl jealous,” Peridot growls.

  My heart boiled with anger. Not one, but two people had played with Peridot last night. And though my part was from a state of drunken confusion, Amethyst’s was despicable. But at least I knew Peridot didn’t like Amethyst, and Amethyst had only been pretending to like her.

  “Did you mean what you said?” I asked quietly.

  She blushes, and raises an eyebrow. “Did you?”

  I blush. “I asked you first.”

  “You said it first,” she argues.

  I sigh. “Yeah, I meant it. I… I do love you. I’m just not sure if it’s platonic or not.”

  She grows silent. And then, “Can we just let everything to back to normal?” she asks.

  “Woah, wait. Did you mean it when you said you loved me?” I question.

  She turns away. “You should sleep. You need rest.”

  “Peridot,” I plead.

  “What do you want from me?” she says, raising her voice. “I don’t know how I feel, okay?”

  “It’s okay to be confused,” I murmur, “I know I am.”

  “I need some time to think,” she says softly. “Just… give me some space to think. Let me be for a while.”

  “Okay, Peridot,” I whisper, lowering my head. “I’ll leave you alone from now on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow! they didn't say "oh i liked the kiss let's do it again whoops there go my pants let's go screw each other on the bed with blue/green covers in our under average sized dorm/room"  
> what a wild concept! it's almost like... similar scenarios... can have... vastly different outcomes with varying degrees of realism... (no way!)


	8. But Luckily, It's in your Nature to Forgive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> peridot was kinda sorta rude i guess and lapis was a bit sensitive and it causes unnecessary conflict that's not quite realistic but crucial to character/relation development

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so i posted an original version of this story (can still be found on fanfic.net but it's horrible) and it was so bad i had to completely rewrite (evergreen rain is the rewrite) and so if you've noticed all comments here have to be approved it's because some dude read this story here on ao3, read the original on ff.net, and then accused me of copying... my own story... i mean wow  
> QOTD: give one useless fact about lapis  
> AOTD: she once ate 6 hamburgers at wendy's on a dare and ended up in the hospital with food poisoning for three days

  Peridot:

  When I wake up, I'm in ecstasy for a moment – but only just. Then memories of the past two days kick in and feelings flood my head. I sit up as quickly as I can, whipping my head around for signs of my roommate. The floor next to me is empty and cold to the touch.

  I scan the room, desperately searching for signs of my friend – a note, a letter – yet I find none. A missing skateboard would mean she's at the tennis courts, but it's resting alone in its corner. If her art supplies were gone, I would search for a pretty view, and hope to find her there. But instead I find nothing.

  I'd been too harsh. All she'd done was tell me how she honestly felt, and I'd coldly told her to stay away from me. And she'd agreed to go, not because she didn't want to be near me, but because she wanted to fix things. And the worst part was, I think I did feel that way about her. I slam my head against the wall, yelling,

  "Why am I such an idiot?"

  I clench my fists and close my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. Yelling wouldn't bring her back.

  I run out of the room, still in my pajamas - just an oversized tee shirt and sweat pants – and scramble from room to room, looking for a glimpse of blue hair, the scent of an ocean breeze.

  All of a sudden, as I'm searching every single cabinet in the kitchen (I'm that desperate,) the thought hits me. She would be at the only place she'd ever really felt at home – the pool.

oO0Oo

  I sprint down towards the pool, almost missing the doorway – and when I run back to get inside, my face smacks into the door. I stumble back, blindly reach for the handle, and slam it open.

  There's only one girl in there, and it's her. But when she sees me, instead of smiling as she so normally does, she dives underwater and heads for the middle of the pool where she knows I can't reach her.

  "Lapis!" I cry, "Wait!"

  "I thought you didn't want anything to do with me!" she called, turning her back to me.

  "That was a mistake!" I desperately reply, trying to circle the pool.

  She stays silent.

  "Look, I was really confused last night, and I thought I needed space. But I don't anymore, I realize I was wrong to push you away, to hide my feelings – I feel horrible," I exclaim.

  She doesn't reply.

  "Say something!" I yell.

  She begins to float on her back, a clear sign that she doesn't care anymore. That she's over it, even. But I'm not.

  I begin to take off my shoes. "If you keep ignoring me, I'm coming in there!"

  She snorts. "Have fun with that."

  Rage flares inside me, but I push it back down. "Lazuli, I am going in this pool, and nothing you can stay will stop me. We're going to talk, and everything will be fine," I say in a forcibly calmed tone.

  "Like you can catch up to me," she mutters, but she doesn't move.

  In a way, that's her way of trying to fix things. If she wanted, she could always out race me, or scream in my face, or even physically hurt me, but she doesn't. She's acting like she hates the idea of talking, but she isn't trying to stop me.

  I swim over to her, and she stands up just before I reach her. "What do you want, Peridot?" she asks scornfully.

  "To apologize. I'm sorry that I told you to leave. That's not what I want. And… I know it hurt you. I can't take it back, but I can try to make things right," I say openly.

  She keeps her back to me.

  "Well?" I demand.

  She shrugs.

  "You're not making it easy to be the bigger person," I growl.

  I see her fists clench, but I keep my cool. "What? Are you going to hit me?" I angrily demand.

  "Yes! No! I don't know! I hope not. I don't-" she yells.

  "Do it! Hit me! If you can't even look at my face, and you think this'll help, then go for it! But you won't, because you're a good person, and I know that!" I exclaim.

  I notice her shaking, and I think she's going to actually do it. But after a moment, I realize that she's silently crying.

  "Hey, I didn't-" I start, but she doesn't hear me.

  I put my hand on her shoulder, and she just breaks down farther, putting her head in her hands.

  I pull her into a hug from behind, and she doesn't resist or even flinch.

  "Why do you even care about me?" she murmurs.

  "Because we're friends," I reply softly.

  "You think I'm good, but I'm not," she insists.

  "Good or bad, does it really matter?" I ask.

  I hear a mumbled, "Yes," and I shake my head.

  "You're an amazing person. Please don't forget that," I reply.

  This time, I almost think I catch her whisper, "Okay," but so softly it could've been my imagination.

oO0Oo

  Once we're out of the pool, I hear her say, "Peridot?"

  I turn around just in time to see her give me a hug. I return it instantly.

  "Thanks," she murmurs. "I don't know of anyone else who would've ever come into the pool to try to fix a problem that I caused. I… I really do think you're great."

  I smile. "I think you're perfect."

  I hear her laugh, and it makes me smile even more to know that she's happy again, and now I'm grinning like an idiot, but I still say, "I'm serious!"

  "It's hard to be serious when you're soaking wet in your pajamas, dude," she remarks.

  I blush. "Well, someone didn't give me enough time to change. Next time, give me a warning, yeah?"

  She smiles and steps back. "No worries, dude. I hope nothing like that happens again. But if you want, I can give you some of my dry clothes."

  "All I really need is a jacket," I murmur.

  She lightly shoves my shoulder. "You just want my hoodie."

  I smile and shrug playfully. "You have my green one, and I'm thinking of adding some blue to my repertoire."

  "Just take it." She mutters, attempting to throw it at my head, but ultimately missing and knocking a bin off a nearby bench.

  I grin and pull the hoodie over my sopping wet shirt. "You hit something," I remark.

  "What is it?" she asks.

  "It's a small bin filled with… multicolored bracelets?"

  She walks over and grins. "Oh, hey. These are nylon anklets, dude. You get one if you pass the swimming test."

  We begin to pick them up, and she says, "Hey, this one's green, just like you. Take it, dude."

  I hold up a blue anklet. "Nah, I found a blue one, and it reminds me of you. I'll just wear this one for the next… couple years, probably."

  She grins and slips the flimsy green nylon stand over her left ankle. I do the same, but on my right.

  "You do realize that I'm never actually taking this off, right?" she asks.

  "Oh, definitely," I reply, bumping her ankle against mine, green against blue.

  We smile at each other. Everything was okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> submit QOTDs whenever but also make sure to add something else to ur comment so it's not just a question thanks  
> (if you haven't caught on, QOTD stands for Question Of The Day)


	9. And So We Talk and Joke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nature hike ??? may b

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT TO THE INTEGRITY OF THE CHAPTER: "i love you" can be 100% platonic and literally i have said/been told that hundreds of times without any romance behind it and also i googled it and reddit users agree  
> omg i tried to use the phrase "potayto pot-ot-o tomayto tom-ot-o" but i realized that written out it would just be "potato potato tomato tomato" and i'm writing a romance fanfic here not a cooking exorcism scene  
> QOTD: If you were trapped on a deserted island with a cooler that would replenish any 3 food you want infinitely, what three foods would you pick? I advise to pick one thing that will prevent scurvy.  
> AOTD: probably steak, snap peas, and lemons (i did include something that would prevent scurvy because school's coming up and i'd rather live on the island indefinitely than go back)

  Lapis:

  As soon as she exits the pool center, Peridot begins to jog. I’m not in the mood to run (more like never,) so I grab the back of her shirt, skimming her back in the process.

  Peridot winces. “Watch it. My back’s super sore. Also, I’m pretty sure you almost choked me when you grabbed my shirt.”

  I immediately let go. If I choked my roommate, there would most likely be paperwork, which is a no. “My bad. Why’s your back sore?”

  She looks away. “The floor isn’t exactly padded. I think we might, uh, actually need mattresses.”

  Shit. I’d been putting off getting the bed fixed because… Never mind. Forget I said anything.

  “Uh… We can… call the janitor dudes,” I suggest weakly.

  “’Janitor dudes?’” she repeats. “Do you mean the janitors?”

  “Yes. Them,” I reply, giving her a tiny grin.

  “You know, I think I _will_ call the janitor men.”

  “It’s janitor _dudes and/or dudettes._ ”

  “My mistake,” Peridot says dryly.

  “Clearly,” I respond, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

oO0Oo

  “Alright, they said that they’d fix it today, but we’d have to stay out of the dorm for the next few hours,” Peridot says after returning from a phone call to the front office. “Know any place we can hang out?”

  In response, I run away. “Of course I do, Evergreen! I’ll beat you there!” I call over my shoulder.

"Hey! I don't even know where we're going!" she exclaims, sprinting towards me.

  Crap. She was actually pretty fast. I grinned and took a sharp turn to the left, veering off the pavement. Peridot overran by a few steps, causing her to backtrack and change direction.

  "We both know I'm faster, Lapis! It's only a matter of time!" she calls.

  I'm instinctively running towards the abandoned tennis courts, my go-to place.

 _Time to change it up_ , I think to myself, running past the entrance. Peridot only glances in its direction before speeding up.

  Surrounding the tennis courts are a few scattered trees, but beyond that is a thick grove of trees that stretches until it meets the stone walls that encompass the school grounds. I sprint under the canopy, admiring the foliage as I do. In the fall, the leaves turned vibrant shades of scarlet, orange, and gold.

  I glance back, but I don't see Peridot. I begin to panic, but then I hear, "Surprised to see me?"

  I whip my head around to find her running evenly at my side, barely breaking a sweat.

  "Not at all. Actually, I was expecting you sooner," I reply, smirking.

  "Don't worry, I'll be out of sight soon enough," she says, beginning to take the lead.

  Just as I'm about to catch her, my foot gets stuck on a root in the ground and I begin to fall. I gasp in surprise, and Peridot turns around. She reaches for my hand, but I'm falling too fast, and I only pull her down with me. We land in a pile of freshly fallen leaves at the side of a tree.

I blink my eyes open, and stare up at the clear blue sky. I'm covered in multicolored leaves, and so is she, and I'm about to say something witty but I can't quite grasp the words, so we both glance at each other and fill the space with laughter instead.

  She's cute when she smiles; it's all in her eyes, the way the pale green lights up, and I can't help but smile when I see her.

  When we stop laughing, she finally says, "If you hadn't fallen, I would've won, you know."

  "Whatever. I could definitely beat you in the water," I reply, grinning.

  She rolls her eyes good-naturedly, even though she totally knows it’s true.

  A silence grows between us, and I don’t know how to break it. I feel like she’s waiting, waiting for me to make the first move.

  "You have some leaves in your hair," I remark.

  She shakes her head out like a dog. Leaves fly everywhere. I grin and shield my face playfully.

  She grins. "What? Don't judge me, you're covered in leaves too."

  I stare into her eyes, issuing a private challenge. But she doesn’t back down. I hadn’t planned on that, so I grabbed a nearby leaf and placed in in her hair.

  “You want leaves?” Peridot asks, holding our eye contact. “Then you can have them!” She takes one hand and slashes it through the pile, scattering leaves over my head in a multicolored rain.

  I grin and begin to laugh. In retaliation, I splash leaves over her in a wide arc. It breaks out into a full on leaf fight, leaves flying through the air.

  I leap up, grab the branch above me, and start to shake it, creating a shower of leaves.

  “Feel the wrath of my leaf rain, Peri!” I jokingly shout, furiously shaking the branch.

  She play shields herself with her hands, though she still grins. “Oh, no.” she says in a voice worthy of an infomercial speaker. “Anything but that.”

  And, of course, it’s right about now that something goes wrong. The branch in my hands snaps, sending the entire limb down on my head. I’m not hurt, as it was pretty small, but my pride is wounded as Peridot cracks up.

  “Oh man, I’m feeling your wrath pretty badly right now,” she says between fits of giggles.

  I lightly hit her with the branch, causing a few stray leaves to fall. “Fight me.”

  “No thanks,” she replies smoothly, snatching the branch from my hands.

  I raise an eyebrow as she throws – or attempts to throw - the stick into the woods. It hits a tree branch about five feet away and falls at our feet, creating a sprinkling of leaves.

  “Not a word,” she warns as I burst into laughter.

  “Wouldn’t dream of it,” I assure her, smirking. A stray leaf falls on my nose, and I blink slowly.

  Peridot steps closer, brushing the leaf away. Her eyes bore into mine, and I shrink back. It’s like she’s searching once again for something – something that isn’t there.

  “H-hey, do you think our beds’ll be ready?” I ask, breaking the tension.

  “Nah. Wanna order a pizza to the dorms?” Peridot asks, putting up an almost imperceptible barrier.

  I nod my head a little too vigorously. “Sure.”

  As we walk back to the dorm, her shoulder occasionally brushes against mine, and each time I nearly have a heart attack.

oO0Oo

  When we reached our dorm, I opened the door and stared into the room with shock.

  "They fixed our beds!" I exclaimed.

  I'd called the janitors earlier, and they'd removed the wooden bedframe but left the mattresses just as I'd requested. The two pads were side by side, one pressed against the wall and the other almost touching the door. The two mattresses were only an inch or two apart. Our dorm didn't have any space to spare.

  "Nice! I don't have to sleep on the floor anymore," Peridot says, grinning.

  I smile and run towards the mattresses. "I call the one closest to the wall," I say, jumping onto the padded surface. I overshot the jump, hit the mattress, bounced off, and slammed into the wall on the other side. I heard Peridot's muffled laughter, and I rolled over, clutching my sore nose from where it had hit the plaster.

  "Smooth," Peridot remarks.

  "I can't wait to do that every day for the next four years," I mutter.

  She laughs. "Sounds like fun. Meanwhile, I'll just slowly sit down on my end of the bed with a book like a normal person."

  "Normal is boring," I loudly mutter, checking my nose for signs of blood.

  "Normal people don't get hurt from smashing into a wall at full force," Peridot notes, handing me a magazine.

  I snatch it out of her hands. "Normal people also don't say, 'oh my stars,' so, I win," I reply.

  "Fight me," she says in a bored tone, reading from her book.

  "I think I will," I tease. I lay my left leg – the one with the green anklet – over both of her legs.

  "Oh no. I have been defeated," she says mockingly. "I still have your leg trapped, though, so…" She traps my leg by lazily laying her arm over it.

  "Fantastic," I reply, flipping open my magazine.

  We both begin to read our separate books. At some point, she begins to swirl her fingers absentmindedly on my leg, and at first, I think nothing of it, but as I focus, I realize she's writing out the words, "I love you."

  I begin to blush furiously, and I see her grin out of the corner of my eye.

  "I-I love you, too," I reply, making it sound as distracted as I can. But she sees how red I am, and she caught my stutter. She knows how much it means to me, and exactly how much I mean those words when I say them back.

  Platonic or not, I know that I love Peridot.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had to rewrite 1k words bc it was too flirty  
> omg i love all of these comments thank you soooo much


	10. In the Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lapis friendzones herself and peridot is a lowkey lesbian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i published a second lapidot and it's a soulmate au  
> (yeah, i know, it's so cliche, but this one is different)  
> (it's called splashes of color)
> 
> i screwed up so hard today omg i can't with myself sometimes  
> QOTD: have you ever been in love with someone, and if so, did they love you back?  
> AOTD: yes, and i never asked, but it's too late because we're at different schools now and we can't see each other in person outside of school for complicated reasons that have to do with family :( but i actually based lapis (usually when she's dom) (non sexual tho) like 75% after them because i am still so in love and god i don't deserve them even as a friend but like they're perfect (i guess is they're lapis then that makes me peridot (non dom) but like maybe 33%)  
> this is why lapis is always portrayed as seen as beautiful by literally everyone and peridot is said to have a horse face and look like a potato and act like a potato and she secretly is a potato

Peridot:

  I've never thought of myself as particularly daring. People usually refer to me as a coward. But around Lapis… Well, I told her I'd loved her. That took guts. She makes me a different person, a better person.

  When we'd met, she'd seemed brave and confident. Now I realize that was just an act to hide how afraid she really was. Afraid to be hurt, afraid to love. I hope that one day I can help her be someone strong.

oO0Oo

  When I wake up, I yawn and roll over so that I face Lapis. I'd thought she was still asleep, but her eyes are open.

  When she sees me awake, she murmurs, "Hey."

  "How long have you been awake?" I ask.

  "Long enough," she replies. She grabs my wrist and turns it so she can read the time on my watch. "An hour, I guess."

  "Why didn't you get up?" I ask, staring at her hand on my wrist. My face begins to heat up, but she doesn't notice.

  "I don't know," she says, shrugging. "I guess now that our mattresses are side by side, I'd have to crawl over you to get out of bed. I just didn't want to wake you up. "

  "Hey, don't let me stop you from getting up in the morning," I protest. "Just crawl over me or something."

  She rolls her eyes, but grins. "So, like this?" she asks. She begins to carefully crawl over me on her hands and knees. I think I can almost catch her winking, but it could've been a trick of the light.

"Now that I'm awake, you could've at least waited for me to get out of bed," I growl playfully. I took my feet, put them on her stomach, and pushed up. Lapis was being held in the air by my legs, in a pose reminiscent of a flying superman. She almost falls, but I offer her my hands, and she holds onto them, using my palms to push herself up.

  I hear her laugh, and I grin. I look up at her face to see it beaming down at me. Her ice blue eyes don't seem that cold to me anymore. They crinkle around the edges when she laughs, something I've always found cute. The pale freckles on her nose stand out like splashes of paint on a blank canvas. Her soft blue hair hangs down in waves, cascading around her shoulders and into the air, almost long enough to touch my nose, but not quite.

  I blink slowly and snicker. I must've been the luckiest person in the world to find her.

  "Yeah. Yeah, this is how I'll get over you every morning. You'll just lift me over you with your legs while you sleep," she says sarcastically.

  "Exactly. Glad you agree," I reply, winking.

  She rolls her eyes, and says, "Okay, you can put me down now. It's actually pretty hard to breathe like this, you know."

  "If that's what you want," I say coyly, taking back my hands.

  With only my legs to support her, she begins to wobble. She squeals softly, and almost falls, but just before she completely loses her balance, I put my arms back in place.

  "Peridot!" she says, "You almost dropped me. I'm not that heavy, am I?"

  I grin and turn onto my side, dropping her on her own mattress. We're still holding hands, and I slowly snatch them back, blushing slightly. "You know I wouldn't have dropped you," I confirm.

  She grins at me, and my blush becomes more noticeable. "Of course, dude," she says confidently.

  I grin back. "You know you're still on your side of the bed. Looks like you're going to have to do that again," I reply.

  She gently shoves me off the mattress, where I fall with a resounding thud. "Yeah, no," she responds, hopping off the bed.

  I stand up, but only after she's stepped over me. "Ugh. I think I need a shower. I still smell like chlorine from yesterday."

  Lapis pauses to sniff the air. "You smell good, though."

  I roll my eyes. "You would like the smell of chlorine. Maybe I should go jump in the pool more often."

  "You should."

  I snort. "Whatever. If you need me, I'll be in the shower."

  "No, I'll have one too. My hair's a mess," she replies, brushing through her soft blue locks.

  "You know there's only one shower with hot water, right? We can't both use it," I warn.

  "That's no problem," she replies casually, grabbing a towel.

  "Why?" I ask suspiciously.

  "Because I'm going to get there first," she replies, grinning as she runs out the door.

  "Hey! Lapis!" I call, sprinting after her.

  I easily catch up to her before she's even made it to the common room. I gently nudge her to the side of the hallway, and she elbows me back.

  "I'm faster," I call, sprinting ahead.

  "Fight me," she playfully shouts.

  When we hit the common room, I jump over a couch, using the cushions like a spring board.

  "Show off," she calls, running around the furniture instead.

  I'm in the hallway that leads to the bathroom, almost there, when I feel Lapis grab my wrist and pull me back behind her. She takes the lead, but only for a moment, as I hook her ankle with my foot and trip her. As I run past, she tries to grab my ankle, but I step out of her hold, racing past her fallen form and into the bathroom.

  I run into the only working stall just as Lapis sprints through the doorway. She curses quietly.

  "Yes! Looks like you lost this round, Lapis, cause I just got the only shower with hot water. Victory tastes sweet. Have fun in your ice cold shower." I call teasingly.

  I reach to turn the shower on, and it's only after I turn the nozzle that I realize my mistake.

  "Ahhh!" I yelp as water pours out of the shower head onto me. I was still wearing my clothes.

  Lapis starts laughing, and she has to lean on the shower stall for support. "You’re… you’re a fucking genius… I can’t breathe," she says between breaths, doubling over, though I still catch the smile on her face.

  I roll my eyes, but she doesn't stop. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh all you want. I'm an idiot," I mutter.

  When she doesn't stop laughing after thirty more seconds, my pride is wounded, and I blurt out, "Yeah, well at least I'm not the only one who's wet."

  She looks up questioningly, and I grab her wrist, pulling her under the spray with me. Her laughter stops immediately, cut off by spluttering.

  I begin giggling and snorting, while she tries to blink water out of her eyes. After a moment, she starts laughing again, but this time it's real laughter, happy laughter.

  I grin. "I guess I should stop calling you Rain, and instead call you…" I pause. "…Shower Water?"

  She snorts. "Oh, sign me the hell up. Shower water? That's a fucking sexy name you chose there, Peridot."

  I blush. "I screwed up, okay?"

  She shakes her head from side to side to try to get the water out of her hair, even though she's still under the spray. Water droplets catch me in the face, and I blink. "And I think it's cute how you tried," she affirms. "But you ended up with Shower Water, which is possibly the worst nickname I've ever heard."

  "Whatever. I still beat you to the shower," I mutter good naturedly.

  She pauses for a moment. Water slices over us, and mist rises in the air. Lapis gives me a mischievous grin, and our eyes meet for just a moment. But then, she turns the spray from 'gentle rain,' to 'pulse,' which is the hardest and fastest spray there is on the shower head.

  "Ah!" I exclaim as the hard spray bounces off my skin. "Lapis!"

  I hear her giggle again, and I reach up to the nozzle and direct it straight at her.

  She laughs and pulls the hood of her sweatshirt over her head. "You forget that I enjoy being in the water," she says.

  "Let's see how much you enjoy it without your hood," I start, taking a step forwards so I can lower her hoodie. But the shower floor is wet, and I lose my footing, and I grab her shoulder to steady myself. When I look up, I'm only inches from her face. She smirks.

  "What was that about without a hood?" she asks.

  I blush furiously.

  "You know, you'd think the shower would cool you down a little, but you must be warm, seeing how red you are," she comments.

  "No, it's too hot," I mumbled.

  "Hot damn," she replied.

  I started at her for a moment, and then I pushed her face away with my hand. She began to laugh, and turned off the water.

  "Your face was priceless," she said, grinning.

  I put my hand over my face, but still grin. "Whatever, Rain. I'm going to go dry off."

oO0Oo

  Back at the room, I open my drawer to find…

  "Hey, Lapis? Did you put on a load of wash?" I ask.

  She's getting dressed in the corner, so I don't turn around. "Yeah, why?"

 "I don't have any clothes left," I state, looking at my mostly bare drawer. "Unless you want me to walk around only wearing socks, could I borrow some stuff?"

  I hear her lay down on the bed, and I know it's safe to look. "As sexy as I’m sure a scrawny fifteen year old can be, you should probably get something on other than socks. Take whatever you need."

  I open her dresser, and take out a dark blue tank top with stars on it, light blue jean shorts, and a black beanie. I didn't need the hat, but I thought it looked good.

  "What do you think?" I ask once I've dressed.

  Lapis rolls over to face me, and immediately blushes.

  "I'll take that as a, 'you look great, Peridot,'" I answer, flashing her a mischievous grin.

  She rolls over again. "Whatever."

  I hop down on the bed. "What do you want to do next? There are still a couple hours left before we have to sleep."

  She shrugs. "Do you want to watch YouTube on your laptop together?"

  I grin. "Definitely. Do you want me to make hot cocoa?"

  "Sure. I can make it while you load up your computer," she replies eagerly.

  "I'll make the hot chocolate. You literally can't cook at all. You'd find some way to mess it up," I countered.

  She sighs, but says, "Fair enough. I can't even make cereal."

  I snort. "How can you fail at making a bowl of cereal?"

"I missed the bowl when I tried to pour the milk and spilled it into my cup of orange juice," she replies.

"Oh my stars."

"Shut up."

  I grin and stand up. "I'll be back with the food."

oO0Oo

  After a few minutes, we were both laying on our stomachs on the bed, sipping hot chocolate while watching our favorite TV show. We were covered in the same blanket, which meant we were fairly close.

  "No! Don't marry him, you idiot!" Lapis yells indignantly at the screen.

  "I know!" I affirm. "She'd be way better off with her ex!"

  I slowly sip my hot cocoa. No matter how much I tried, I really couldn't pay attention to the show. I was too focused on Lapis, the way her eyes lit up when something exciting happened, or how she restlessly tapped her fingers on the mattress at the suspenseful parts. She was so cute, and I smiled every time I saw her.

  Grinning, I took my phone out and took a picture of her.

  "If you're uploading that, make sure to tag me," Lapis says absently, not looking away from the screen.

  I quickly post it to my Instagram and tumblr.

  Lapis slams her hand on the mattress. "No! He's not right for you! Ugh!" she exclaims, rolling over onto her back. "Why are some characters such idiots?"

  She was so close to me, our shoulders were touching. I blushed, but she couldn't see. "Uh… I don't know?"

  She rolls over again, this time to the other side. "I can't watch this garbage anymore tonight. Want to just go to sleep?"

  "Sure. We can clean up tomorrow. Night, Rain," I say, turning off my laptop.

  She pulls the blanket farther up. "Night, Evergreen."

  A pause. Then I hear her sigh. "Hey, Peridot?" she asks.

  "Yeah?" I reply, opening my eyes.

  "I just wanted to let you know... I had a lot of fun today. Thanks," she confessed.

  "So did I," I confirmed, “Even when you pelted me with fucking hot water.”

  A laugh. And then, "You're my best friend, you know? I just... really appreciate you," she adds.

  I roll over to face her. "Lapis, you're by far the best friend I've ever had, okay? You're amazing. Don't forget that." I assure.

  I can't see her face, but I know she's smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so i copy paste my chapters from word but this chapter i copied and pasted and then got distracted cause i got injured lifting weights today and the doctor said i might know what it is and i was looking up possible cures/remedies and i found one but wanted to learn more but copied and pasted it into a new tab, then came back to here and pasted it instead of my chapter and posted it  
> y'all almost had a chapter with only the word appendicitis in it  
> like
> 
> chapter 10: In the Water
> 
> appendicitis

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this 4 months ago pls don't judge the bad writing it gets better i swear


End file.
